31/12/2025
Busy year up in the heavens, something nearly every month in 2026.....
Mark your calendars!
2026 may be one of the best years for skywatchers – with everything from a six-planet parade to a total solar eclipse.
The year kicks off with the Quadrantid meteor shower on January 3. Normally one of the most active showers, this year’s display will be dimmed by a full moon, dropping visible rates below 10 meteors per hour.
That same night brings the first supermoon of 2026, when the full moon reaches perigee and appears up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than average (NASA).
Late February offers a six-planet alignment: Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune will line up on the same side of the Sun. While Uranus and Neptune require a telescope, the rest will be visible with the naked eye. Full planetary alignments are rare — the next is due in 2034.
On March 3, a total lunar eclipse will paint the Moon red for nearly an hour. Most of North America will see at least part of it before moonset.
Other highlights include:
◾ April 21–22: Lyrid meteor shower (up to 18/hour)
◾ May 31: Blue micromoon, the smallest and dimmest full moon of the year
◾ August 12: A total solar eclipse visible from parts of Europe, Iceland, and Greenland
◾ August 12–13: The Perseid meteor shower, peaking under a new moon with up to 100 meteors/hour
◾ September 18: Venus reaches peak brightness in evening skies
◾ October 21–22: Orionid meteor shower, with meteors moving at 41 miles per second (66 km/s)
◾ December 23: Final and closest supermoon of the year
Meanwhile, solar activity remains high, with 2026 marking the tail end of Solar Cycle 25’s peak. That means auroras and geomagnetic storms are still likely.
Look up often this year. It's going to be good year!
