Observing the 2017 Menan, Idaho solar eclipse.
Natalie Bering/Getty Images
As the year comes to an end, I like to get excited about what the coming year has in store for me in terms of astronomical events and schedule them into my calendar. High on my list for 2026 are planetary alignments, various eclipses, and the usual meteor shower calendar. All these events are visible in both hemispheres, if I haven't specified.
We're hoping that dark skies in the northern hemisphere in January will give us plenty of opportunities to see the aurora, as it's still an active time for solar flares. The Quadrantids meteor shower, which peaks on January 3, should also be a beautiful sight, although the full moon that night may obscure some of the fainter meteors.
Jupiter will be bright in the sky during January when it reaches opposition, meaning it is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. This is the best time to look at this stunning planet through binoculars or a telescope.
At the end of February, you will have the opportunity to see a spectacular parade of six planets: Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter will stretch across the sky, visible simultaneously, just after sunset on February 28th.
There will be a total lunar eclipse on March 2 and 3, which will be visible from parts of North and South America, Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. The Moon will enter the shadow cast by the Earth, making it darker and redder, giving it the evocative name “Blood Moon.”
Other meteor showers to note in the diary include the Lyrids peaking on April 22, the Perseids peaking on August 12, the Leonids on November 17 and the Geminids on December 14.
Besides these showers, another exciting event will be the total solar eclipse on August 12th. The moon and sun will align in the sky so that the moon perfectly blocks sunlight for a few moments when viewed from certain parts of the Earth (pictured in 2017 in Menan, Idaho).
Totality – the time during which sunlight is completely blocked by the Moon – will last up to 2 minutes 18 seconds. The total eclipse will be visible from northern Spain, the Balearic Islands, parts of Russia, Greenland and Iceland. But partial eclipses will be visible in many other places around the world. As is typical with solar eclipses, a partial lunar eclipse, or Blood Moon, will occur in a couple of weeks on August 28th.
If you have a powerful telescope, September 25th will be the ideal time to look for Neptune, as it will be closest to Earth and fully illuminated by the Sun. Then, on October 4, Saturn will be at opposition, making it the best time of the year to view the planet and perhaps its rings with a small telescope. It will be visible all night.
There are also two supermoons to watch out for at the end of 2026. The first, November 24, is the Beaver Moon. The year then ends with a supermoon on Christmas Eve. Happy stargazing!
These articles are published every week on the website
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Abigail Bill is a special editor at New scientist and author The Art of Urban Astronomy. Follow her @abbybeall
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