Sky calendar
Eclipses, planet pairings, meteor showers and full Moons for the next thirteen months, with a countdown to the next one. Put the good ones in your diary. I have.
Upcoming events
Next up
Mars and Jupiter 1.2° apart
Mon, 16 November 2026
Mars and Jupiter 1.2° apart
The two planets pair up in the morning sky, close enough to fit in one binocular view. They stay close for several days either side.
Leonid meteor shower peaks
Fast meteors shed by Comet Tempel-Tuttle. The Moon will be 55% lit. Peak predicted for 23:45 UTC by the International Meteor Organization.
Mercury farthest from the Sun in the morning sky
Mercury stands 20° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time round. Look east before sunrise.
Uranus at opposition
Uranus is opposite the Sun in the sky: near its closest and brightest, and up all night.
Europa Clipper flies past Earth
Planned: NASA’s Europa probe passes about 3,200 km up for its last gravity assist before Jupiter.
Geminid meteor shower peaks
Usually the strongest shower of the year, and already active by mid-evening. The Moon will be 25% lit, so expect a dark sky. Peak predicted for 14:00 UTC by the International Meteor Organization.
December solstice
The shortest day in the northern hemisphere and the longest in the southern.
Venus farthest from the Sun in the morning sky
Venus stands 47° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time round. Look east before sunrise.
Quadrantid meteor shower peaks
A short, sharp peak, best from the northern hemisphere before dawn. The Moon will be 12% lit, so expect a dark sky. Peak predicted for 03:25 UTC by the International Meteor Organization.
Mercury farthest from the Sun in the evening sky
Mercury stands 18° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time round. Look west after sunset.
Annular solar eclipse
The Moon leaves a ring of Sun showing along a narrow track. Greatest eclipse falls near 31° S, 48° W. Never look at the Sun without certified eclipse filters.
Jupiter at opposition
Jupiter is opposite the Sun in the sky: near its closest and brightest, and up all night.
Mars at opposition
Mars is opposite the Sun in the sky: near its closest and brightest, and up all night.
Penumbral lunar eclipse
A faint shading crosses the Moon as it grazes the outer part of Earth’s shadow. Easy to miss.
Mercury farthest from the Sun in the morning sky
Mercury stands 28° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time round. Look east before sunrise.
March equinox
Day and night are nearly equal everywhere. Spring begins in the north, autumn in the south.
Lyrid meteor shower peaks
A modest spring shower that throws the occasional bright fireball. The Moon will be 95% lit, so the fainter meteors will be lost in moonlight. Peak predicted for 01:40 UTC by the International Meteor Organization.
Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks
Dust from Halley’s Comet. Best from the southern hemisphere before dawn. The Moon will be 0% lit, so expect a dark sky. Peak predicted for 09:00 UTC by the International Meteor Organization.
Venus and Saturn 0.6° apart
The two planets pair up in the morning sky, close enough to fit in one binocular view. They stay close for several days either side.
Mercury farthest from the Sun in the evening sky
Mercury stands 23° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time round. Look west after sunset.
June solstice
The longest day in the northern hemisphere and the shortest in the southern.
Mercury farthest from the Sun in the morning sky
Mercury stands 21° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time round. Look east before sunrise.
Penumbral lunar eclipse
A faint shading crosses the Moon as it grazes the outer part of Earth’s shadow. Easy to miss.
Total solar eclipse
The Moon covers the Sun completely along a narrow track. Greatest eclipse falls near 25° N, 33° E. Never look at the Sun without certified eclipse filters.
Perseid meteor shower peaks
The best-loved shower of the year, on warm northern summer nights. The Moon will be 87% lit, so the fainter meteors will be lost in moonlight. Peak predicted for 09:00 UTC by the International Meteor Organization.
Penumbral lunar eclipse
A faint shading crosses the Moon as it grazes the outer part of Earth’s shadow. Easy to miss.
September equinox
Day and night are nearly equal everywhere. Autumn begins in the north, spring in the south.
Mercury farthest from the Sun in the evening sky
Mercury stands 26° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time round. Look west after sunset.
Neptune at opposition
Neptune is opposite the Sun in the sky: near its closest and brightest, and up all night.
Saturn at opposition
Saturn is opposite the Sun in the sky: near its closest and brightest, and up all night.
Orionid meteor shower peaks
More dust from Halley’s Comet, fast and often faint. The Moon will be 48% lit. Peak date from the International Meteor Organization; the maximum is broad.
Mercury farthest from the Sun in the morning sky
Mercury stands 19° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time round. Look east before sunrise.
Leonid meteor shower peaks
Fast meteors shed by Comet Tempel-Tuttle. The Moon will be 80% lit, so the fainter meteors will be lost in moonlight. Peak predicted for 06:00 UTC by the International Meteor Organization.
Venus and Mars 0.3° apart
The two planets pair up in the evening sky, close enough to fit in one binocular view. They stay close for several days either side.
Geminid meteor shower peaks
Usually the strongest shower of the year, and already active by mid-evening. The Moon will be 98% lit, so the fainter meteors will be lost in moonlight. Peak night is approximate.
I work out the eclipses, planet events, Moon phases and seasons on this page from the planets’ orbits, so the list never goes stale. Meteor shower peaks for 2026 and 2027 are the International Meteor Organization’s predictions; later ones are typical dates and can shift by a day. Times are shown in your device’s time zone, which is named beside each one. The site clock at the bottom of the page runs on UTC, Coordinated Universal Time: the time at Greenwich, with no summer time.