New Year 2026 promises to be a real holiday for amateur astronomers and everyone who loves the beauty of the night sky. From rare planetary parades and spectacular total solar eclipses to the peaks of meteor showers and the brightest comets, each month has its own unique celestial wonder. MK has compiled a detailed guide to the main astronomical events of the year.
© Gennady Cherkasov
The 2026 astronomical season opens with majestic Jupiter. On January 10, the largest planet in the solar system will be in opposition to the Sun, making it the best time of year to see it. Located in the constellation Gemini, it will shine all night with record brightness. You can easily find it with the naked eye – it looks like a bright, unblinking yellow “star” inside the winter hexagon of stars. Those who own even a small telescope or binoculars will be able to see the four famous Galilean satellites next to the planetary disk – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, whose positions will change every night.
The next big event will take place at the end of February, on the 28th, when a rare and beautiful sight will take place in the evening sky – a grand parade of planets. About an hour after sunset, six planets will line up diagonally from the western horizon: Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Four of them – bright Venus and Jupiter, as well as Mercury and Saturn – will be seen perfectly without any instruments. Uranus and Neptune will require binoculars, but spotting them will be a reward for keen observers. Stretching across the sky, this alignment will provide the perfect opportunity for the first astronomical photos of the year.
A real treat for residents of the Pacific region, and parts of Asia, Australia and the Americas, will be a total lunar eclipse on the night of March 3. The moon will be completely in the Earth's shadow and turn a deep red color, which is why such events are often called the “Bloody Moon.” The entire episode will last 58 minutes and the entire phenomenon will last more than five hours. This eclipse will coincide with the March full moon, traditionally known as the “Worm Moon” by Native Americans, resulting in the strange conjunction of the “Bloodworm Moon.”
In the spring, around April 25, comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) will visit. Its brightness is predicted to reach the threshold of being visible to the naked eye, making it potentially the brightest comet of the year. It can be observed in the northern sky after sunset as a faint bright spot with a faint tail. However, you should always keep an eye on comets – their behavior is unpredictable and another visitor, C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos), could also bring surprises.
May will have an interesting phenomenon – “Blue Micromoon” on the 31st. This is the second full moon of the calendar month (hence the name “Blue”), which will also coincide with aphelion – the point where the Moon is farthest from Earth. As a result, the lunar disk will be about 5.5% smaller than normal. The difference is hardly noticeable, but it is such a rare coincidence that makes the observation so special.
Summer will begin with the dance of the two brightest planets. On June 9, Venus and Jupiter will approach each other in the evening sky in the constellation Gemini at a distance of just over one and a half degrees. They will be only about the width of a finger apart on an outstretched arm. Sparkling Venus and powerful Jupiter make a pair not to be missed. And on July 11, in the pre-dawn sky, the thin crescent Moon will meet the Pleiades star cluster and red Mars, creating a picturesque mini composition visible to the naked eye.
But the peak of summer will be August 12. This day will bring you three astronomical treasures. First, before dawn, a parade of six planets will line the sky: Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn and Neptune, stretching from east to southwest. Then, in the afternoon, residents and visitors to Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and Spain will witness a total solar eclipse. Most of Europe will experience a period of dramatic privacy. And when it gets dark, it's time for the third act – the climax of the famous Perseid meteor shower. Thanks to the new moon, viewing conditions will be ideal: up to 90 or more bright meteors could be seen per hour in the dark sky. Seeing all three events in one day is any amateur astronomer's dream.
On September 22, Venus will be at its brightest of the year. It will sparkle like a small speck of light on the southwest horizon just after sunset. At this point, through a telescope, it will appear as a thin but extremely bright crescent. Fall will also be the best time to observe Saturn. On October 4, “The Lord of the Rings” will enter the confrontation, increasingly brighter and closer. In a small telescope, its rings will be visible in their afterglow, making this an ideal day to learn about the planet.
On November 16, two popular planets will have a close approach – Mars and Jupiter. They will converge at a distance of just over one degree in the constellation Leo, creating a beautiful contrast between red Mars and yellow Jupiter. This pair can be observed in the pre-dawn hours.
The sidereal year will end with the culmination of one of the strongest and most spectacular meteor showers – the Geminids. On the night of December 14, if the sky is dark (the Moon does not interfere), up to 120 meteors can be observed per hour. This phenomenon is equally visible in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, making it truly a global celestial event.
