Whether it be with naked-eye viewing, through a pair of binoculars, or with a beginner’s telescope, a certain amount of planning can make way for viewing enthusiasts to fully enjoy the spectacular events that take place in the sky in 2026. Be it eclipses, aligned planets, or an eight-year supermoon, there are plenty of spectacular sky events in 2026 for enthusiasts to enjoy. Sky viewing in 2026 has plenty on offer for anyone, be it a beginner sky watcher or an enthusiast with a deep love for astronomy. Events such as a lunar eclipse, a solar eclipse, a list of sky showers, aligned planets, and an Artemis Mission to orbit around the Moon by NASA make it a perfect year to experience the beauty of sky viewing with friends and family.
List of celestial events in 2026
Key celestial events in 2026
- January highlights: Supermoon and Jupiter opposition
The year opens with a supermoon at the wolf moon on 3 January. This moon will appear slightly larger and brighter in the sky due to its close approach to Earth. The opposition of Jupiter will be observed on 10 January. It will appear at its brightest in 13 months.
- February and March: Eclipses and Auroras
17 February: There is an annular solar eclipse, which presents the “ring of fire” that can be seen in totality only in Antarctica, with partial eclipses in southern Africa and South America.3 March: A total lunar eclipse makes the worm moon appear deep red for 58 minutes in western North America, East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. It is the last total lunar eclipse before 2028.20 March: During the spring equinox, observers at mid-latitudes may see vivid displays of the aurora, due to the interaction of charged solar particles with the Earth’s magnetic field.On 31st May, the second full moon in the month, a blue moon rises. While the colour has not changed, the moon rise is a treat to watch.
- August: Total Solar Eclipse and Perseid Meteor Shower
The year’s biggest event is on 12-13 August. A total solar eclipse moves across Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. Later that night comes the Perseid meteor shower. Dark-sky enthusiasts find this an ideal time for ‘star streaks.’
- Late August and November: Lunar and planetary events
28 August: A deep partial eclipse plunges more than 96% of the Moon into the Earth’s shadow, making it appear rust red to observers in the Americas, Europe, and Africa.14-16 November: Mars and Jupiter come close to each other within a degree so that both can be viewed in the same field of a pair of binoculars.The year will conclude with a supermoon on 24 December, which will be the closest full moon occurring since 2019.Apart from natural occurrences, NASA’s Artemis II will see four astronauts go on a lunar orbital mission on February 5, comprising a 10-day journey around the lunar body on the Orion spacecraft, with a distance of over 5,800 miles past the lunar surface. This will be the farthest trip for human beings from Earth.
