Want to get out and see the magic of the universe? These are the stargazing events to check out this year.
I could stare at the stars and the ocean for hours. When looking upon the expanse of the sky, it seems to go on forever and make me and my problems feel so small (in a good way).
A few years ago we started to get into astrophotography, but after moving to NYC, we’ve been shooting city lights over the night sky. While living in the city that never sleeps, we met some incredible astrophotographers who have inspired us to get back at it. We have a feeling our next city will have us spending more time outside.
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Last Updated: May 3, 2026
13 Stargazing Events You Won’t Want to Miss in 2026
We’ve done some night photography on a whim, but in hindsight realized it takes a some astronomy knowledge to capture great star photos. P.S. I also did some sports photography back in college, which was a disaster, because I didn’t understand the sport and could never follow the ball. I am hoping in the coming year with a better understanding of the stars, we can take some rad photos of them.
To helps us plan for the year, we’ve put together a calendar of stargazing events, new moons, full moons, and more. That way, we can plan each trip accordingly to get the best results. Here are the astronomy events that you should mark on your calendars!
Also, it helps to ask to go with some already knowledgeable folks or attend a star party.
1. Quadrantids Meteor Shower
January 3-4, 2026
This shower runs annually from January 1-5, but peaks on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th with up to 40 meteors per hour. The best viewing will be after midnight. The full moon will make it tougher to catch. This shower is believed to be dust grains left by the extinct comet 2003 EH1. The nearly full moon will make it harder to catch this year.
2. Total Lunar Eclipse
March 3, 2026
A total lunar eclipse is when the moon passes completely through the Earth’s dark shadow. During this eclipse, the moon will get darker and look rusty or blood-red. It will be visible in most of eastern Asia, Australia, the Pacific Ocean, and North America.
3. Lyrids Meteor Shower
April 22-23, 2026
The Lyrids are produced by dust particles left by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, and there are roughly 20 meteors per hour during its peak. It runs from April 16-25 with the peak on the night of the 22nd and the morning of the 23rd. The skies should be dark because the first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight.
4. Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower
May 6-7, 2026
The most active portion of this shower will be seen in the Southern Hemisphere with up to 60 meteors per hour. In the Northern Hemisphere, there will be up to 30 meteors per hour. It runs annually from April 19 to May 28 but peaks the night of May 6. This shower is made of dust particles left by the Halley comet. The waning gibbous moon will block out most of the fainter meteors.
5. Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower
July 28-29, 2026
Debris from the Marsden and Kracht comets create this annual shower from July 12 to August 23. During its peak on the night of July 28th and the morning of the 29th, you can see up to 20 meteors per hour. Unfortunately, the full moon will block out most of the meteor showers this year.
6. Total Solar Eclipse
August 12, 2026
The moon fully covers the moon during a total solar eclipse. It will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, and the Atlantic Ocean before ending in Spain. A partial eclipse will be visible Alaska, Canada, western Africa, and the northern United States.
The next total eclipse visible in the United States won’t be until 2045.
7. Perseids Meteor Shower
August 12-13, 2026
This is one of the best meteor showers and stargazing events to check out this year. It produces up to 60 bright meteors per hour from the Swift-Tuttle comet. It runs from July 17 to August 24 with its peak on the night of August 12 and the morning of the 13th. There will be no moonlight to interfere with the show this year.
8. Partial Lunar Eclipse
August 28, 2026
The moon passes through the Earth’s dark shadow making it a rusty or blood-red color. It will be visible throughout most of North America, Mexico, Central America, South America, the Atlantic Ocean, and most of Europe and Africa.
9. Draconids Meteor Shower
October 7, 2026
This is a smaller meteor shower but still has about 10 meteors per hour left by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner. It’s best viewed in the early evening instead of the early morning and runs from Oct 6-10 with the peak on the night of the 7th. The waning crescent moon will make it good for viewing this year.
10. Orionids Meteor Shower
October 21-22, 2026
Running from October 2 to November 7, the dust grains left by comet Halley can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of October 21. The waxing gibbous moon will block some of the faint meteors.
11. Taurids Meteor Shower
November 4-5, 2026
This is a smaller shower made up of dust grains left by Asteroid 2004 TG10 and Comet 2P Encke. It runs from September 7 to December 10 but the peak happens the night of November 4th. The waning crescent moon will make it easier to view the shower this year.
12. Leonids Meteor Shower
November 17-18, 2026
This annual shower runs from November 6-30 with 15 meteors per hour at its peak. The Tempel-Tuttle comet dust grains peak the night of November 17th. The waxing gibbous moon will block the fainter meteors in the early evening.
13. Geminids Meteor Shower
December 13-14, 2026
This is one of the best meteor showers with up to 120 multicolored meteors at its peak. The debris left from asteroid 3200 Phaethon runs from December 7-17 but peaks the night of December 13th. The waxing crescent moon will set early so the skies should be dark.
BONUS: Ursid Meteor Shower
December 21-22, 2026
If you haven’t gotten enough meteor showers this year, catch the final shower the night of the 21st and the morning of the 22nd. The Ursids is a smaller shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour left by the comet Tuttle. The full moon this year will make it hard to see.
2026 New Moon Dates
As a photographer, we’re always planning astrophotography around new moon because the sky is darkest and we can shoot photos of galaxies, star clusters, and the milky way. For that reason, it makes it great for stargazing too.
- January 18, 2026
- February 17, 2026
- March 18, 2026
- April 17, 2026
- May 16, 2026
- June 14, 2026
- July 14, 2026
- August 12, 2026
- September 10, 2026
- October 10, 2026
- November 8, 2026
- December 8, 2026
2026 Full Moon Dates
If you’re looking for bright nights or to shoot the moon, go out on full moon days. This year, there are three supermoons, which means the moon is closest to Earth can may look slightly larger and brighter.
- Saturday, January 3, 2026 – Wolf Moon
- Sunday, February 1, 2026 – Snow Moon
- Tuesday, March 3, 2026 – Worm Moon | Total lunar eclipse
- Wednesday, April 1, 2026 – Pink Moon
- Friday, May 1, 2026 – Flower Moon
- Sunday, May 31, 2026 – Blue Moon
- Monday, June 29, 2026 – Strawberry Moon
- Wednesday, July 29, 2026 – Buck Moon
- Friday, August 28, 2026 – Sturgeon Moon | Partial lunar eclipse
- Saturday, September 26, 2026 – Corn Moon
- Monday, October 26, 2026 – Hunter’s Moon
- Tuesday, November 24, 2026 – Beaver Moon*
- Wednesday , December 23, 2026 – Cold Moon
2026 Eclipse Dates
- February 17, 2026 – Annular Solar Eclipse (Visible from East Antarctica, southern Argentina & Chile, southern Africa)
- March 3, 2026 – Total Lunar Eclipse (Visible in much of North America (Best in Central & Western regions))
- August 12, 2026 – Total Solar Eclipse (Visible in Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Spain (Partial in Canada & northern U.S.))
- August 27-28, 2026 – Partial Lunar Eclipse (Visible in North America)
Opposition Dates in 2026
Planets in opposition are the best time to see them because they are closest to Earth.
- January 10, 2026 – Jupiter
- October 5, 2026 – Saturn
- November 25, 2026 – Uranus
2026 Equinox & Solstice Dates
- March 20, 2026 March Equinox (First Day of Spring)
- June 21, 2026 June Solstice (First Day of Summer)
- September 22, 2026 September Equinox (First Day of Fall)
- December 21, 2026 December Solstice (First Day of Winter)
Meteor Shower Dates in 2026
- January 3-4, 2026 – Quadrantids Meteor Shower
- April 21-22, 2026 – Lyrids Meteor Shower
- May 5-6, 2026 – Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower
- July 30-31, 2026 – Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower
- August 12-13, 2026 – Perseids Meteor Shower
- October 7-8, 2026 – Draconids Meteor Shower
- October 21-22, 2026 – Orionids Meteor Shower
- November 16-17, 2026 – Leonids Meteor Shower
- December 13-14, 2026 – Geminids Meteor Shower
Highlights of 2020
Two of the big highlights of 2020 was seeing the Neowise Comet and the Bethlehem Star. The Bethlehem star was honestly a bit of a letdown. There was so much hype around Jupiter and Saturn not coming together for 800 years, but turns out anyone with good eyesight could see two distinct planets and not one massive Christmas star. The comet, on the other hand, was really amazing to see with the naked eye and to photograph.
Both events will not happen again in our lifetime.
Planning Checklist
- Get comprehensive insurance for your trip.
- Download these helpful language apps.
- Arrange a rental car for your trip.
- Get airport lounge access.
- Buy a travel charger to keep your devices charged.
- Get a new backpack for your trip.
- Pack the appropriate shoes for your trip.
- Don’t forget your in-flight essentials.
What stargazing events have you seen? When is the last time you stargazed?
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“Discovery consists not of seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes” – M. Proust
Esther + Jacob
Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.
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Nice Post !
Thanks, Juana!