Three planets shine in 2026 along with two lunar eclipses, one solar eclipse, and a summer meteor shower. Here’s what’s up in the sky for 2026.
Finding planets
In January, the planet Jupiter shines brightly in the evening sky. Look for it above the eastern horizon after dark, blazing like a cream-colored beacon. The nearly-full moon will appear beside Jupiter on Jan. 3 and Jan. 30 making two picturesque pairings. Jupiter will hang out in the nighttime sky until summer and cozy up to the even-brighter planet Venus June 6-11.
Saturn is holding on in the western sky after sunset for the first two months of 2026. It’ll appear as an ordinary, yellow-colored star. Once you locate Saturn, aim a telescope at it to reveal its skinny rings.
Dazzling Venus enters the evening sky in March as Saturn heads off into the sunset. In fact, the two planets seem to pass each other March 7 and 8 just as the sun dips below the horizon. Venus will be a nightly fixture in the western sky through mid-September, so you will get to know our sister planet well in 2026.
Two unique lunar eclipses
There will be two lunar eclipses in 2026 – two nights where the moon will slide gracefully into the shadow of the Earth for several hours. The first will be a total lunar eclipse in the early morning hours of March 3. It begins at 4:50 a.m. EST and the moon will be totally eclipsed (when it turns eerie shades of gray, orange, and red) from 6:04 a.m. to 7:02 a.m. EST.
On the night of Aug. 28, there will be a partial lunar eclipse – the Earth will block only a part of the moon. This lunar eclipse begins at 10:33 p.m. EST and lasts until 1:51 a.m. on Aug. 29. Although it won’t be a total lunar eclipse, at maximum 96% of the moonlight will be in shadow. Around midnight the edges of the lunar surface can still take on a pinkish glow. Mark both on your astro calendars since they will be visible from almost everywhere in the United States and we won’t have another noticeable lunar eclipse until 2028.
Perseid Meteor Shower
The Perseids are the meteor shower of summer, peaking each year on Aug. 12 and 13. You want to face in the direction of the constellation Perseus, which rises in the northeastern sky at midnight and shifts high in the south later at night. But meteors can streak from any direction at any time between midnight and dawn.
2026 should be an excellent year to view the Perseids. It will occur during a new moon so the skies will be extra dark.
Total solar eclipse
Did you see the total solar eclipse in 2017 or 2024? If you did, you know this is the greatest astronomical show in the universe. The sun gets completely blocked by the moon for a few fleeting moments. The sky turns dark, the stars come out, an ethereal halo forms around the sun-moon, and the light in the sky turns outright bizarre.
It is an unforgettable experience and it will happen again on Aug. 12. Unfortunately, this total solar eclipse will not happen in the United States. Totality (when the entire sun is covered) will only be visible along a narrow arc from Iceland to Spain. But if you can put yourself along this path, you may experience totality for a few minutes.
Online astronomy classes
What: Learn astronomy from your home with Astronomer Dean Regas. Each month Dean presents a new and exciting topic from the universe. These online classes are fast, fun, and great for beginners and experts alike.
When: Jan. 14, Feb. 11, and March 11 at 7 p.m.
Where: Online. You have the option to watch it live or later at your convenience.
Tickets: $10/class, $25/ 3-class series