What to Watch in 2026: Eclipses, Planet Shows and Major Space Missions

After a quieter 2025, 2026 offers a full calendar of celestial spectacles and high-profile space missions. From total and partial eclipses to planet oppositions and ambitious lunar and Mars missions, there is plenty for skywatchers and space fans to mark on their calendars.

Key Celestial Events

• March 3 — Total Lunar Eclipse: Partial eclipse begins 4:50 a.m.; totality begins 6:04 a.m.; maximum 6:33 a.m.; moonset 6:58 a.m.
• April 25 — National Astronomy Day.
• June 9 — Venus & Jupiter Conjunction: The two brightest visible planets will be less than 2° apart in the evening sky.
• Aug. 12 — Very Partial Solar Eclipse: Partial begins 1:11 p.m.; maximum 1:41 p.m.; ends 2:12 p.m.
• Aug. 27–28 — Partial Lunar Eclipse: Partial begins 10:33 p.m.; maximum 12:12 a.m.; partial ends 1:51 a.m.
• Oct. 4 — Saturn at Opposition: The ringed planet will be visible from dusk to dawn.
• Oct. 17 — International Observe the Moon Night.
• 2026 Supermoons: Jan. 3, Nov. 24 and Dec. 23.

Space Missions To Watch

Artemis II (NASA) — Targeted no earlier than April 2026. This will be the second flight of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) and the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft. Planned as a roughly 10-day lunar-orbit mission, Artemis II would be the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon since Apollo 17 (1972). Crew: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. The Artemis program aims to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon.

SunRISE (NASA) — A heliophysics mission planned for summer 2026. Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) will study solar radio bursts and map the Sun's magnetic field from the outer corona into interplanetary space.

The king of the planets, Jupiter, reaches opposition on Jan. 10 when it will be visible from sunset to sunrise.

SpaceX Starship To Mars — SpaceX plans to launch the first uncrewed Starship vehicles to Mars during the next favorable Earth–Mars transfer window in 2026. These early Starships will test atmospheric entry and landing systems and gather data to prepare for future crewed and cargo missions.

Crew Rotations: NASA SpaceX Crew-12 is scheduled no earlier than Feb. 15, with Crew-11 expected to return in March.

January Planet & Moon Highlights

The year opens with a strong planet show during long winter nights.

The constellation Canis Minor, the smaller hunting dog of Orion, the Hunter, is in the spotlight during January. The small constellation can be found by locating the bright star Procyon, which is to the left of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.

Jupiter

Jupiter reaches opposition on Jan. 10 and will be visible from sunset to sunrise. At about magnitude −2.7, it will be the brightest object in the evening sky roughly an hour after sunset. Look east; Jupiter will appear near Orion and Gemini. Through a small telescope or steady binoculars you can see cloud bands and the four Galilean moons. Jupiter pairs with the Full Moon on Jan. 3 and with the nearly full Moon on Jan. 30.

Saturn & Neptune

Saturn (magnitude ~1.0) will be visible in the southwest. Its rings show a slight tilt in a telescope. Saturn and Neptune appear in the same binocular field all month: Neptune lies about 3.5° northeast of Saturn on Jan. 1 and narrows to ~1.7° by Jan. 31. Neptune shines at magnitude ~7.8 and is best seen with a telescope.

Uranus, Mercury, Venus & Mars

Uranus (mag ~5.7) sits in Taurus, just south of the Pleiades; binoculars or a telescope are recommended. The waxing-gibbous Moon passes near Uranus on Jan. 26–27. Mercury (mag ~−0.6) makes a brief morning appearance on Jan. 1 about 30 minutes before sunrise — a clear eastern horizon helps; binoculars may assist. Venus and Mars are not easily visible in January.

Suzie Dills

Night-Sky Spotlight — Canis Minor

This month's constellation focus is Canis Minor, the Lesser Dog (71st of 88 constellations). Find it by locating Procyon, the bright star just to the left of Sirius. Procyon is the eighth-brightest star in our sky, lies about 11.4 light-years away, and is part of the Winter Circle asterism. The constellation's second-brightest star is Gomeisa. In myth, the Lesser Dog was placed by the gods at the Milky Way's bank so it would never be thirsty.

Other Highlights & Viewing Tips

• Quadrantid Meteor Shower: Peaks Jan. 3 — look after midnight for the best rate, weather permitting.
• Viewing Tips: Use binoculars for planets and wide-field views; a small telescope reveals Jupiter’s moons and Saturn’s rings. Always allow your eyes 20–30 minutes to adjust to the dark for the best sky visibility.
• Time Zones: Eclipse and event times are presented as local clock times as listed in event sources; check your local time zone and sunrise/sunset times before observing.

Enjoy the sky in 2026 — from dramatic eclipses to the next steps in lunar and Mars exploration.

For additional night-sky details, maps and audio visit: www.starrytrails.com.

For planetarium show dates and times visit: www.mckinleymuseum.org. Planetarium shows are free with museum admission. The planetarium is inside the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW, Canton. For more information call the museum at 330-455-7043.