People in Africa, Europe, most of the Americas, and the eastern Pacific Ocean will see a deep lunar eclipse overnight on August 27-28, 2026. The eclipse won’t be total. But it’ll be nearly total, with 96% of the moon within the Earth’s dark umbral shadow at mid-eclipse.
Lunar eclipses are a whole-Earth event. But you must be in nighttime when the eclipse happens, in order to see it. The half of Earth facing the full moon – that is, the whole half of Earth that’s in nighttime – will see the lunar eclipse during the exact same moments. Of course, the times shown on our clocks will be different!
From start to finish, the eclipse will last 339 minutes. And the moon will be in Earth’s dark shadow – during the partial phases of the eclipse – for 199 minutes.
What will you see?
You don’t need any special equipment to view a lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipses are safe to view with the eye alone. But binoculars and telescopes do enhance the view.
Lunar eclipses start with a subtle kind of eclipse called a penumbral eclipse. That’s when the moon is in the lighter part of Earth’s shadow, called the penumbra. Very observant people do notice Earth’s shadow on the moon during the penumbral phases of a lunar eclipse. Don’t worry if you can’t see it. The eclipse is happening! It’s just very subtle at this phase.
You will see the eclipse, for sure, when the partial eclipse begins. Then it’ll look as if a dark bite has been taken out of the moon’s face. That darkness will slowly creep across the moon’s face until the moon is almost fully submerged in Earth’s shadow.
As the eclipse becomes deeper – and approaches maximum – you should begin to notice a red glow on the moon. There are varying opinions as to when this red color might become visible. Some say by 90%. Some say 95%. The darker your sky, the better chance you’ll have of seeing the red color sooner. Since 96% of the moon will be in Earth’s shadow at mid-eclipse, you’ll hopefully see some redness by then.
And you should see a bright white patch along the moon’s northeastern limb. That is the portion of the moon not yet submerged in the shadow. In other words, that’s the unshaded, daytime part of the moon.
Note: People in wildfire areas might have a darker eclipse. If that’s you, you might notice more of the red color during the eclipse. Or you might just see a dark eclipse. Much of your individual experience will depend on the condition of your local sky.
When the lunar eclipse occurs worldwide
Penumbral eclipse begins at 1:24 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 8:24 p.m. CDT on August 27. Earth’s lighter penumbral shadow will begin crossing the moon’s face. You probably won’t notice it at first. But as the eclipse progresses, you should see a subtle shading on the moon. Partial eclipse begins at 2:34 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 9:34 p.m. CDT on August 27. As the partial eclipse begins, it’ll appear as if a tiny but dark bite is taken from one edge of the moon. Greatest eclipse at 4:13 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 11:13 p.m. CDT on August 27. At maximum eclipse, about 96% of the moon’s disk will lie inside Earth’s dark umbral shadow. Partial eclipse ends at 5:52 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 12:52 a.m. CDT. Penumbral eclipse ends at 7:02 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 2:02 a.m. CDT.
By the way, the moment of greatest eclipse takes place 5.8 days after the moon reaches apogee, its farthest point from Earth, for August, 2026. So the moon will be at more or less an average distance from Earth when this eclipse takes place.
Moon and saros
The saros catalog describes the periodic recurrence of solar and lunar eclipses over time. Eclipses separated by one saros period (18 years, 11 days and 8 hours) belong to the same saros series and share nearly identical elements (including distance from Earth, season of the year and eclipse duration).
This August 27-28 total lunar eclipse belongs to Saros 138. It is number 29 of 82 lunar eclipses in the series. All eclipses in this series occur at the moon’s ascending node (where the moon’s path cut northward along the ecliptic, or Earth-Sun plane). The moon will move southward with respect to this node with each succeeding eclipse in Saros 138.
The instant of greatest eclipse – when the axis of Earth’s shadow cone passes closest to the moon’s center – takes place at 4:12 UTC on August 28.
At that time, the moon will lie at zenith (directly overhead) at a point in the Brazilian Amazon. But, again, all of us on Earth’s night side at that moment will see the greatest eclipse.
Will everyone see the eclipse equally well?
A full moon is up all night. And – as mentioned above – a lunar eclipse is visible from all parts of Earth that are experiencing night while the eclipse is taking place.
But some will see the eclipse more clearly, or more thoroughly, than others, depending on location.
For example, some will see it at moonrise or moonset, when the moon is low in the sky.
The constellation behind the partial lunar eclipse
The lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is in the constellation of Aquarius, the Water Bearer.
Find the moon’s path with respect to Earth’s dark umbral and lighter penumbral shadows below.
Bottom line: A deep partial lunar eclipse takes place on August 27-28, 2026, visible in Africa, Europe, most of the Americas, and the eastern Pacific Ocean. Maps and details here.
People in Africa, Europe, Scandinavia, Iceland, parts of Greenland, Antarctica, most of the Americas and eastern Pacific Ocean will see a deep lunar eclipse overnight on August 27-28, 2026. The eclipse won’t be total. But it’ll be nearly total, with 96% of the moon within the Earth’s dark umbral shadow at mid-eclipse.
Lunar eclipses are a whole-Earth event. But you must be in nighttime when the eclipse happens, in order to see it. The half of Earth facing the full moon – that is, the whole half of Earth that’s in nighttime – will see the lunar eclipse during the exact same moments. Of course, the times shown on our clocks will be different!
From start to finish, the eclipse will last 339 minutes. And the moon will be in Earth’s dark shadow – during the partial phases of the eclipse – for 199 minutes.
What will you see?
You don’t need any special equipment to view a lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipses are safe to view with the eye alone. But binoculars and telescopes do enhance the view.
Lunar eclipses start with a subtle kind of eclipse called a penumbral eclipse. That’s when the moon is in the lighter part of Earth’s shadow, called the penumbra. Very observant people do notice Earth’s shadow on the moon during the penumbral phases of a lunar eclipse. Don’t worry if you can’t see it. The eclipse is happening! It’s just very subtle at this phase.
You will see the eclipse, for sure, when the partial eclipse begins. Then it’ll look as if a dark bite has been taken out of the moon’s face. That darkness will slowly creep across the moon’s face until the moon is almost fully submerged in Earth’s shadow.
As the eclipse become deeper – and approaches maximum – you should notice begin to a red glow on the moon. There are varying opinions as to when this red color might become visible. Some say by 90%. Some say 95%. The darker your sky, the better chance you’ll have of seeing the red color sooner. Since 96% of the moon will be in Earth’s shadow at mid-eclipse, you’ll hopefully see some redness by then.
And you should se a bright white patch along the moon’s northeastern limb. That is the portion of the moon not yet submerged in the shadow. In other words, that’s the unshadowed, daytime part of the moon.
Note: People in wildfire areas might have a darker eclipse than those of us who have clear skies. If that’s you, you might notice more of the red color during the eclipse. Or you might just see a dark eclipse. Much of your individual experience will depend on the condition of your local sky.
When the lunar eclipse occurs worldwide
Penumbral eclipse begins at 1:23 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 8:23 p.m. CDT on August 27. Earth’s lighter penumbral shadow will begin crossing the moon’s face. You probably won’t notice it at first. But, as the eclipse progresses, you should see a subtle shading on the moon.
Partial eclipse begins at 2:33 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 9:33 p.m. CDT on August 27. As the partial eclipse begins, it’ll appear as if a tiny, but dark, bite is taken from one edge of the moon.
Greatest eclipse at 4:12 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 11:12 p.m. CDT on August 27. At maximum eclipse, about 96% of the moon’s disk will lie inside Earth’s dark umbral shadow.
Partial eclipse ends at 5:52 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 12:52 a.m. CDT.
Penumbral eclipse ends at 7:02 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 2:02 a.m. CDT.
By the way, the moment of greatest eclipse takes place 5.8 days after the moon reaches apogee, its farthest point from Earth for the month of August, 2026. So the moon will be at more or less an average distance from Earth when this eclipse takes place.
Moon and saros
The saros catalog describes the periodic recurrence of solar and lunar eclipses over time. Eclipses separated by one saros period (18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours) belong to the same saros series and share nearly identical elements (including distance from Earth, season of the year and eclipse duration).
This August 27-28 total lunar eclipse belongs to Saros 138. It is number 29 of 82 lunar eclipses in the series. All eclipses in this series occur at the moon’s ascending node (where the moon’s path cut northward along the ecliptic, or Earth-sun plane). The moon will move southward with respect to this node with each succeeding eclipse in Saros 138.
The instant of greatest eclipse – when the axis of Earth’s shadow cone passes closest to the moon’s center – takes place at 4:12 UTC on August 28.
At that time, the moon will lie at zenith (directly overhead) at a point in the Brazilian Amazon. But, again, all of us on Earth’s night side at that moment will see the greatest eclipse.
Will everyone see the eclipse equally well?
A full moon is up all night. And – as mentioned above – a total lunar eclipse is visible from all parts of Earth that are experiencing night while the eclipse is taking place.
But some will see the eclipse more clearly, or more thoroughly, than others, depending on location.
For example, some will see it at moonrise or moonset, when the moon is low in the sky.
The constellation behind the partial lunar eclipse
The August 28, 2026, partial lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is in the constellation of Aquarius the Water Bearer.
Bottom line: A deep partial lunar eclipse takes place on August 27-28, 2026, visible in Africa, Europe, Scandinavia, Iceland, parts of Greenland, Antarctica, most of the Americas and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Do you think of the Milky Way as a starry band across a dark night sky? Or do you think of it as a great spiral galaxy in space? Both are correct. Both refer to our home galaxy, our local island in the vast ocean of the universe, composed of hundreds of billions of stars, one of which is our Sun.
Long ago, it was possible for everybody in the world to see a dark, star-strewn sky when they looked heavenward at night. In those ancient times, humans looked to the starry sky and saw a ghostly band of light arcing from horizon to horizon. This graceful arc of light moved across the sky with the seasons. The most casual sky-watchers could notice that darkness obscured parts of the band, which we now know to be vast clouds of dust.
Myths of the Milky Way
Myths and legends grew up in different cultures around this mysterious apparition in the heavens. Each culture explained this band of light in the sky according to its own beliefs. To the ancient Armenians, it was straw strewn across the sky by the god Vahagn. In eastern Asia, it was the Silvery River of Heaven. The Finns and Estonians saw it as the Pathway of the Birds.
Meanwhile, because ancient Greek and Roman legends and myths came to dominate western culture, it was their interpretations that were passed down to a majority of languages. Both the Greeks and the Romans saw the starry band as a river of milk. The Greek myth said it was milk from the breast of the goddess Hera, divine wife of Zeus. The Romans saw the river of light as milk from their goddess Ops.
Thus it was bequeathed the name by which, today, we know that ghostly arc stretching across the sky: the Milky Way.
Observing the river of stars
When you are standing under a completely dark, starry sky, away from light pollution, the Milky Way appears like a cloud across the cosmos. But that cloud betrays no clue as to what it actually is. Until the invention of the telescope, no human could have known the nature of the Milky Way.
Just point even a small telescope anywhere along its length, and you will be rewarded with a beautiful sight. What appears as a cloud to the unaided eye resolves into countless stars. Their distance and close relative proximity to each other do not permit us to pick them out individually with just our eyes.
It’s the same way a raincloud looks solid in the sky but actually consists of countless water droplets. The stars of the Milky Way merge together into a single band of light. But through a telescope, we see the Milky Way for what it truly is: a spiral arm of our galaxy.
What is the Milky Way?
Thus we arrive at the second answer to the question of what the Milky Way is. To astronomers, it is the name given to the entire galaxy we live in, not just the part of it we see in the sky. If this seems confusing, we must acknowledge the need for our galaxy to have a name.
Many other galaxies are designated by catalog numbers rather than names, for example, the New General Catalogue. First published in 1888, it merely assigns a sequential number to each. More recent catalog numbers contain information of far more use to astronomers, for example, the galaxy’s location on the sky and during which survey it was discovered. Moreover, a galaxy may appear in more than one catalog and thus possess more than one designation. For example, the galaxy NGC 2470 is also known as 2MFGC 6271.
Other galaxies, particularly those brighter and closer, received names from astronomers of the 17th and 18th centuries. The names reflected their appearance: the Pinwheel, the Sombrero, the Sunflower, the Cartwheel, the Cigar and so forth. These names came long before any systematic sky surveys with numerical labeling systems.
In time, the galaxies with descriptive labels received catalog numbers as well. Yet, our own galaxy does not appear in any index of galaxies. So, it needed a name for astronomers to refer to it by. Thu,s we call it the Milky Way instead of the galaxy or our galaxy. That name refers to both that river of light across the sky, which is part of our galaxy, and the galaxy as a whole.
Where is the sun in our galaxy?
Our solar system lies about 2/3 of the way out from the galactic center. We’re 26,000 light-years from the center, or 153,000 trillion miles (246,000 trillion km).
When we look toward the edge of the galaxy, we see the Orion-Cygnus Arm (or the Orion spur). The solar system is just on the inner edge of this spiral arm.
Or we can look toward the center of the galaxy, in the direction of Sagittarius. Vast clouds of dark gas hide the galactic center from us. Only in recent decades have astronomers pierced that dusty fog with infrared telescopes. A study of around 100 stars at the galactic center revealed that those giant clouds of dark dust were hiding a monster: a black hole. This black hole – known as Sagittarius A* – has a mass four million times that of our Sun.
The stats on our galaxy
Our Milky Way galaxy is one of billions in the universe. We do not know exactly how many galaxies exist: a modern estimate vastly increases previous counts to as many as 2 trillion.
The Milky Way is approximately 100,000 light-years across, or 600,000 trillion miles (950,000 trillion km). We do not know its exact age, but we assume it came into being in the very early universe along with most other galaxies: within perhaps a billion years after the Big Bang. Estimates of how many stars live within the Milky Way vary quite considerably, but it seems to be somewhere between 100 billion and double that figure.
Why is there so much variance? Simply because it is so difficult to count the number of stars in the galaxy from our vantage point here on Earth. Imagine being in a banquet room full of people and trying to count everyone without being able to move around the room. From where you are standing, all you can do is make an estimate because people close to you block the view of those farther away. Neither can you see what size and shape the room is. The mass of people hides the edges of the room. It’s exactly the same from our position in the galaxy.
Seeing the city of stars
It is this inability to see the structure of the Milky Way from our location inside it that meant for most of human history we did not even recognize that we live inside a galaxy in the first place. Indeed, we did not even realize what a galaxy is: a vast city of stars, separated from others by even vaster distances.
Without telescopes, we couldn’t see most of the other galaxies in the sky. The unaided eye can only see three of them: from the Northern Hemisphere we can see the Andromeda Galaxy. Also known as M31, the Andromeda Galaxy lies some two million light-years from us. In fact, it’s the farthest object we can see with our eyes alone, under dark skies. The skies in the Southern Hemisphere also have the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, two amorphous dwarf galaxies orbiting our own. They are far larger and brighter in the sky than M31 simply because they are much closer to us.
Other galaxies in the universe
Until the 1910s, astronomers had not observationally confirmed the existence of other galaxies. Astronomers long believed that those fuzzy patches of light they saw through their telescopes were nebulae, vast clouds of gas and dust in our own galaxy.
But the concept of other galaxies was born earlier, in the early and mid-18th century. Swedish philosopher and scientist Emanuel Swedenborg and English astronomer Thomas Wright apparently conceived the idea independently of each other. Building upon the work of Wright, German philosopher Immanuel Kant referred to galaxies as island universes. The first observational evidence came in 1912 by American astronomer Vesto Slipher, who found that the spectra of the “nebulae” he measured were redshifted and thus much farther away than astronomers previously thought.
Edwin Hubble and distant galaxies
And then came Edwin Hubble. Through years of painstaking work at the Mount Wilson Observatory in California, he confirmed in the 1920s that we do not live in a unique location. Our galaxy is just one of perhaps trillions.
Hubble came to this realization by studying a type of star known as a Cepheid variable, which pulsates with a regular periodicity. The intrinsic brightness of a Cepheid variable is directly related to its pulsation period: by measuring how long it takes for the star to brighten, fade, and brighten again,n you can calculate how bright it is, that is to say, how much light it emits. Consequently, by observing how bright it appears from the Earth, you can calculate its distance.
It’s like seeing distant car headlights at night and estimating how far away the car is from how bright its lights appear. You can judge the distance of the car because you know all car headlights have about the same brightness.
Cepheid variables in Andromeda
One of Edwin Hubble’s great achievements was the discovery of Cepheid variables in M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. Hubble repeatedly photographed Andromeda with the Hooker Telescope. Eventually, he found stars that changed in brightness over a regular period. Performing the calculations, Hubble realized that M31 is not astronomically close to us at all. It’s 2 million light-years away, and it’s a galaxy like our own.
Hubble, for whom this discovery must have been a monumental shock, surmised that our galaxy was no different from M31 and the others he observed. Thus, he relegated us to a position of lesser importance in the universe. This was as big a revelation and diminution of our position in the universe as when we learned that Earth is not the center of the universe.
We do not live in a special or privileged location. The universe does not have any vantage points which are superior to others. Wherever you are in the universe,e and you look up at the stars, you will see the same thing. Your constellations may be different, but no matter in which direction you look, you see galaxies rushing away from you in all directions as the universe expands, carrying the galaxies along with it.
Until the work by Slipher and Hubble (and others), we did not know the universe was expanding. It took a surprisingly long time for the astronomical community to accept this fact. Even Albert Einstein did not believe it, introducing an arbitrary correction into his calculations on relativity to achieve a static, non-expanding universe. However, Einstein later called this correction his greatest error.
The Milky Way from a distance
So, what does the Milky Way would look like from the outside? How many spiral arms there are? How big is the galaxy and how many stars does it hold? These were questions still unanswered in the 1920s. It took most of the 20th century after Hubble’s discoveries to piece together those answers through a combination of painstaking work with both Earth- and space-based telescopes.
So, if you could travel outside our galaxy, what would it look like? A standard analogy compares it to two fried eggs stuck together back-to-back. The yolk of the egg is known as the Galactic Bulge, a huge globe of stars at the center extending above and below the plane of the galaxy.
Astronomers now think the Milky Way has four spiral arms winding out from its center like the arms of a Catherine wheel. But these arms do not actually meet at the center. A few years ago, astronomers discovered that the Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy. This means a “bar” of stars runs across its center, and the spiral arms extend from either end. Barred spiral galaxies are not uncommon in the universe. But we do not yet understand how that central bar forms.
New discoveries in the Milky Way
Only a few years ago, astronomers made another major discovery. The Milky Way is not a flat disk of stars but has a kink running across it like an extended S. Something has warped the disk. At the moment, the finger points at the gravitational influence of the astronomically close Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. It’s one of perhaps twenty small galaxies that orbit the Milky Way, like moths around a flame. As the Sagittarius galaxy slowly orbits around us, its gravity has pulled on our galaxy’s stars, eventually creating the warp.
Other objects are also bound to the Milky Way. A halo of globular clusters surrounds our galaxy. Globular clusters are concentrations of stars that look like fuzzy golf balls. They contain perhaps a million or so extremely ancient stars.
Discoveries about the Milky Way continue. The study of its nature and origin is accelerating as new astronomical tools become available, such as the European Space Agency’s orbiting Gaia telescope. Gaia made a 3-dimensional map of our galaxy’s stars with exquisite and quite unprecedented accuracy. Read more about Gaia’s 3rd data release. And astronomers are anxious for Gaia’s 4th data release that is scheduled for December 2, 2026.
And as recent as July 1, 2026, scientists said that NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, along with ESA’s XMM-Newton Observatory, show the Milky Way’s outer spiral arms might be farther away than previously thought. So our galaxy might be bigger than we believed. Astronomers used the X-ray observatories to examine light reflections off dust clouds in the spiral arms to make their measurements.
We’ve come a long way.
It’s an extremely exciting time for the study of our galaxy. It is all a far cry from when, thousands of years ago, our ancestors ascribed fantastic beasts and gods to that mysterious band of light they saw as they stood in awe under the starry sky.
Bottom line: Learn about our galaxy, the Milky Way. We discuss the origin of the name, its structure, and the history of how our knowledge has developed over the centuries and continues to develop today.
Photo Cutline:View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jelieta Walinski at Montezuma Pass, Coronado National Memorial, Arizona, captured this shot on March 19, 2026. Jelieta wrote: “The Milky Way is a barred spiral system containing over 100 billion stars, its glowing core rich with interstellar dust, hydrogen clouds and stellar nurseries. That soft, radiant arc is not merely light; it is structure: the dense galactic plane seen edge-on from our position within it.” Thank you, Jelieta!
June 6, Earth will reach its farthest point from the sun in its orbit. But it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere! How can that be? Plus, a big asteroid passed close to Earth last last weekend. Should we worry?
July 6: Earth at aphelion
Our planet Earth reaches aphelion – its greatest distance from the sun for this year – at 12:30 p.m. CDT (17:30 UTC) on July 6. At that time, Earth will be 94,502,961 miles (152,087,774 km) from the sun. Michael Teoh submitted this composite image of the sun from Malaysia and wrote: “A comparison of the angular size of the sun during the most recent aphelion (farthest point) in 2025 and perihelion (closest point) in 2026. The angular diameter of the sun during the perihelion of 2026 was about 3.4% larger than it was during the aphelion of 2025.”
July evening planets: Northern Hemisphere view
This all-sky chart shows bright Jupiter and Venus about 60 minutes after sunset, in early July. Each day, Venus will ascend higher as it races toward its greatest distance from the sun on August 14-15. Jupiter, on the other hand, is falling quickly below the sunset horizon in the evening twilight. It’ll be gone early in the month for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, and by mid-month for tropical latitudes. It’ll be most directly behind the sun from Earth on July 29. And it’ll return – to the east before dawn this time – in September. Note that planets lie along the ecliptic, the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.
July morning planets: Northern Hemisphere view
This all-sky chart shows Mars and Saturn – around the first week of July – in the east shortly before sunrise. Saturn is farther away, but it’s bigger; it’ll be the brighter of the 2 planets. Note that the planets lie along the ecliptic, the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.
July 7: Watch for the 3rd quarter moon
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mandy Daniels captured this image of the last quarter moon on September 14, 2025, in the UK. Thank you, Mandy! The moment of the 3rd quarter moon will fall at 19:29 UTCon July 7, 2026. That’s 2:29 p.m. Central Daylight Time in the Americas. And it’s 7:29 a.m. New Zealand Standard Time on July 8. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.
July 7 and 8 mornings: Moon near Saturn
On the mornings of July 7 and 8, the moon will shine near Saturn. They will rise after midnight, so you can catch them through dawn. Chart via EarthSky.
July 10 and 11 mornings: Moon near Aldebaran, Mars and the Pleiades
On July 10 and 11, the waning crescent moon will lie near reddish Mars and the ruddy star Aldebaran. Also, the delicate Pleiades star cluster will glitter nearby. Look for them about 90 minutes before sunrise. Chart via EarthSky.
July 12 and 13 mornings: Moon near Aldebaran, Mars, and the Pleiades
About 30 minutes before sunrise on July 12 and 13, look for the waning crescent moon, glowing with earthshine. It’ll lie near the red planet Mars and the bright orange giant star Aldebaran. Also, the tiny dipper-shaped Pleiades star cluster is nearby. Chart via EarthSky.
July 14: New moon
This GOES-19 CORR1 coronagraph from November 18-19, 2025 (designed to show coronal mass ejections from the sun), captured a fun view of the new moon, which would normally not be visible from Earth during this phase. The moment of new moon will fall at 9:44 UTC on July 14, 2026. That’s 4:44 a.m. Central Daylight Time in the Americas. And it’s 9:44 p.m. New Zealand Standard Time. In fact, this is the 4th of 5 new supermoons in a row. It’ll be 223,789 miles (360,154 km) away. Compare that with the average moon distance of 238,900 miles (384,472 km). New moons rise and set with the sun. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze. Images via NOAA/ GOES.
July 15 evening: Moon near Venus and Regulus
On the evening of July 15, the waxing crescent moon will be approaching brilliant Venus and Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Chart via EarthSky.
July 16 and 17 evenings: Moon close to Venus and Regulus
On the evenings of July 16 and 17, the waxing crescent moon will lie near brilliant Venus and Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Regulus is the bright dot at the bottom of a backward question-mark pattern of stars known as the Sickle. Also, look for the delicate glow of earthshine on the unlit portion of the moon. They’ll set late evening. Chart via EarthSky.
July 20 evening: Moon and Spica
The almost first-quarter moon will float close to the bright star Spica after twilight subsides in the evening of July 20. Spica is the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, the Maiden. Chart via EarthSky.
July 21: 1st quarter moon
Amol Gaikaiwari took this picutre on May 23, 2026, in India and wrote: “The moon was in its first quarter phase. It was roughly 51% illuminated, with half of the lunar disk brightly lit against the night sky.” Thank you, Amol! This month’s moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 11:06 UTC on July 21, 2026. That’s 5:06 a.m. Central Daylight Time in the Americas. And it’s 11:06 p.m. New Zealand Standard Time. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown.
July 23 and 24 evenings: Moon near Antares
After sunset on July 23 and 24, the bright waxing gibbous moon will shine near Antares. Antares is the brightest star in Scorpius, the Scorpion. Chart via EarthSky.
Late July: Watch for the Delta Aquariid meteors
The radiant point for the Delta Aquariid meteor shower is near the faint star Skat, or Delta Aquarii. It rises in mid-evening, is highest around 2 a.m. and low in the sky by dawn. Use the bright, nearby star Fomalhaut to guide you to the Delta Aquariid radiant point. Find Fomalhaut by drawing a line southward through the stars on the west side of the Great Square of Pegasus. This chart shows a wide area, from overhead to southward, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. From the Southern Hemisphere, the radiant is closer to overhead. In 2026, the full moon falls at 14:36 UTC on July 29. Take advantage of the moon-free mornings – after midnight – the week before for watching the Delta Aquariids (and the early Perseids).
July 25 and 26 evenings: Moon near Teapot
On the evening of July 25, the waxing gibbous moon will float near the Teapot asterism of Sagittarius and near the spot that marks the center of the Milky Way galaxy. On the next evening, July 26, the moon will float among the stars of the Teapot. Due to the brightness of the moon, the Teapot will be difficult to discern on both evenings. They’ll rise before sunset and set before dawn the next morning. Chart via EarthSky.
July 27 evening: Moon near Teapot
On the evening of July 27, the bright full moon, just hours past its peak, will hang near the stars of the asterism of Sagittarius called the Teapot. Chart via EarthSky.
July 28 overnight: Full Buck Moon
The almost full moon will rise in the east opposite the sunset on the evening of July 28. The July full Buck Moon will occur at 14:36 UTC on July 29. That is 9:36 a.m. Central Daylight Time in the Americas. And it’s 2:36 a.m. New Zealand Standard Time on July 30. Chart via EarthSky.
July 29 and 30 evenings: Moon and Capricornus
In the late evening of July 29, the bright waning gibbous moon will hang among the 7 stars of the constellation Capricornus, the Sea-goat. The moon’s brightness will likely overpower the constellation. On the next evening, July 30, the moon is near the arrowhead-shaped pattern of stars making up Capricornus. Chart via EarthSky.
July evening planets
Bright Venus will rise slightly higher shortly after sunset each evening all month. It will pass the star Regulus on July 9, then they’ll drift apart. Venus will ascend higher each night as it races toward its greatest distance from the sun on August 14-15. Chart via EarthSky.
July morning planets
In the first half of July, Mars will lie low in the bright eastern twilight shortly before sunrise. It slides between the Pleiades star cluster and the bright star Aldebaran. In the second half of the month, Mars will rise higher while moving past Aldebaran. Chart via EarthSky.
Saturn will lie in the south in the early morning hours of July. It’s the bright object to the lower left of the 4 moderately bright stars that comprise the Great Square asterism. Chart via EarthSky.
From the Northern Hemisphere, on the last 2 mornings of July, Mercury will shine low in the east in the bright twilight. Higher in the sky is the red planet Mars. Mercury will reach its greatest distance from the sun on the morning of August 2. Chart via EarthSky.
For Southern Hemisphere viewers, Mercury will lie low in the east during the last 2 mornings of July. Also, look for Mars higher in the sky. Mercury will reach its greatest distance from the sun on the morning of August 2. Chart via EarthSky.
July stars
If you’re out stargazing on any July evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the sky.
Hercules the Hero and the Hercules Cluster
Hercules is a faint constellation. But its midsection contains the easy-to-see Keystone asterism. You can find Hercules between the bright stars Vega in Lyra, the Harp, and Arcturus in Boötes the Herdsman. And once you find the Keystone, you can easily locate M13, the Hercules cluster. Chart via EarthSky.
Lyra the Harp
The constellation Lyra the Harp is made of a triangle and a parallelogram. Its brightest star is Vega. Next to it, look for Epsilon Lyrae, the famous Double Double star. Chart via EarthSky.
Cygnus the Swan
Cygnus the Swan’s brightest star, Deneb, marks one of the corners of the Summer Triangle. And its bright double star, Albireo, is one of the finest in the heavens.
Have fun exploring the sky!
Sky dome map for visible planets and the night sky
Here is the sky dome view for July 2026. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar.
Heliocentric solar system, visible planets, and more
Heliocentric view of the solar system, July 2026. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission. Plus Guy Ottewell explains heliocentric charts here.
Bottom line: EarthSky’s visible planets and night sky guide. On July 6, the Earth is farthest in its orbit from the sun.
When is it? In 2026, the solstice moment will fall at 8:25 UTC (3:25 a.m. CDT) on June 21. What is it? At the June solstice, the sun reaches its northernmost point. This point is on the celestial Tropic of Cancer, a parallel around the sky, 23.5 degrees north of the celestial equator. At this solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is most tilted toward the sun, with a maximum angle of 23.5 degrees. Conversely, the south is most tilted away by the same amount. What are its main effects? At the June solstice, no matter where you are on Earth, the sun rises and sets farthest north on your horizon. The sun is directly overhead at local noon as viewed from the Tropic of Cancer. Throughout the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is high in the sky and closest to being overhead at local noon. What about day length? For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice marks the shortest nights and longest days of the year. For the Southern Hemisphere, however, it marks the longest nights and shortest days. After this solstice, the sun will begin moving southward in our sky again.
What is a Solstice?
Ancient cultures knew that the sun’s path across the sky, the length of daylight, and the location of the sunrise and sunset all shifted in a regular way throughout the year.
With this in mind, they built monuments such as the ones at Stonehenge in England and at Machu Picchu in Peru to follow the sun’s yearly progress.
Today, we know that the solstice is caused by Earth’s tilt on its axis and by its orbital motion around the sun.
The Earth doesn’t orbit upright with respect to the plane of our orbit around the sun. Instead, our world is tilted on its axis by 23.5 degrees. Throughout the year, this tilt causes Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres to trade places in receiving the sun’s light and warmth most directly.
So it’s Earth’s tilt – not our distance from the sun – that causes winter and summer. In fact, our planet is closest to the sun in January and farthest from the sun in July, during the Northern Hemisphere summer.
The northern summer solstice happens when Earth’s tilt toward the sun is at a maximum and the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, which is located at 23.5 degrees north latitude. During the summer solstice, the sun reaches its highest noonday point in the sky. The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year. Image via NASA Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio.
Signs of the June Solstice in Nature
Where should you look? Everywhere.
For all of Earth’s creatures, nothing is so fundamental as the length of the day. After all, the sun is the ultimate source of almost all light and warmth on Earth’s surface.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you might notice the early dawns and late sunsets, and the high arc of the sun across the sky each day. You might see how high the sun appears in the sky at local noon. Also, be sure to look at your noontime shadow. Around the time of the solstice, it’s your shortest noontime shadow of the year.
If you’re a person who’s tuned in to the out-of-doors, you know the peaceful, comforting feeling that accompanies these signs and signals of the year’s longest day.
John Ashley was in Helena, Montana, when he created this composite image of 2 days of solstice suns in 2018. The uppermost line of suns is from that year’s summer solstice. The lower line of suns is from that year’s December solstice. John wrote, “The sun’s path during summer solstice arches high across the sky (upper), but at winter solstice its path barely clears the brick walls of the Potter’s Shrine, a sculptural landmark on the grounds of the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana. The interval composite photo was created over 2 days – months apart – by placing a fisheye lens on the ground and aiming it at the southern sky.”
Is the June Solstice the First Day of Summer?
No world body has designated an official day to start each new season, and different schools of thought or traditions define the seasons in different ways.
In meteorology, for example, summer begins on June 1. And every schoolchild knows that summer starts when the last school bell of the year rings.
Yet June 21 is perhaps the most widely recognized day upon which summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere and upon which winter begins in the southern half of Earth’s globe. However, the June solstice can fall on June 20 or 22. Indeed, there’s nothing official about it, but it’s such a long-held tradition that we all recognize those dates as the June solstice.
It has been universal among humans to treasure this time of warmth and light.
Stonehenge
For us in the modern world, the solstice is a time to recall the reverence and understanding that early people had for the sky. Some 5,000 years ago, people placed huge stones in a circle on a broad plain in what’s now England and aligned them with the June solstice sunrise.
We may never comprehend the full significance of Stonehenge. But we do know that knowledge of this sort wasn’t limited to just one part of the world. In fact, around the same time Stonehenge was being constructed in England, two great pyramids and then the Sphinx were built on Egyptian sands. If you stood at the Sphinx on the summer solstice and gazed toward the two pyramids, you’d see the sun set exactly between them.
EarthSky’s Will Triggs captured this dawn view of Stonehenge on June 20, 2025. Every year, thousands of people gather at Stonehenge to celebrate the solstices and equinoxes. Thank you, Will!
Why doesn’t the Longest Day have the Hottest Weather?
People often ask:
If the June solstice brings the longest day, why do we experience the hottest weather in late July and August?
This effect is called the lag of the seasons. It’s the same reason it’s hotter in midafternoon than at noontime. Essentially, Earth just takes a while to warm up after a long winter. Even in June, ice and snow still blanket the ground in some places. The sun has to melt the ice – and warm the oceans – and then we feel the most sweltering summer heat.
Ice and snow have been melting since spring began. Meltwater and rainwater have been percolating down through the snow on the tops of glaciers.
However, the runoff from glaciers isn’t as great now as it’ll be in another month, even though sunlight is striking the Northern Hemisphere most directly around now.
So wait another month for the hottest weather. It’ll come when the days are already beginning to shorten again, as Earth continues to move in orbit around the sun, bringing us closer to another winter.
And so the cycle continues.
Check this out … the Breathing Earth. It’s a year of seasonal transformations on our planet, including the June solstice. John Nelson created this animation, using images from the NASA Visible Earth team.
Hello, summer solstice! Image via Abigail Hart.
Bottom line: The 2026 June solstice will happen at 8:25 UTC on June 21 (3:25 a.m. CDT). This solstice – the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere – marks the sun’s most northerly point in Earth’s sky.
June evenings: Charts for Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury
The 2 brightest planets in our sky, Venus and Jupiter, are inching closer together and will reach conjunction on June 8-9. Here are Venus, Jupiter and Mercury on June 3. Watch for them in the west shortly after sunset. Chart via EarthSky.
Venus, Jupiter and Mercury on June 5. Getting close! Watch for them in the west shortly after sunset. Chart via EarthSky.
Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury on June 7. Super close now! don’t miss them in the west shortly after sunset. Chart via EarthSky.
Shortly after sunset on June 8, brilliant Venus will appear next to bright Jupiter. They’ll be a spectacular sight and only 3 full-moon widths apart! Your little pinky held at arm’s length will fit between them. Meanwhile, little Mercury will lie below them in the evening twilight. Chart via EarthSky.
Shortly after sunset on June 9, brilliant Venus will still be near bright Jupiter, forming a dazzling duo that evening. At this point, the conjunction is over, and Venus has begun its ascent away from Jupiter. Venus will get higher in the west after sunset over the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Jupiter will head toward Mercury and the sunset. It’ll disappear into the sunset glare by July. Chart via EarthSky.
June 10 before dawn: Daytime Arietids
Most meteor showers are easy to observe. Just find a dark sky and look up! But what about meteor showers that happen in the daytime, when the sun is up? The Arietids are sometimes said to be the most active daytime meteor shower. In 2026, their predicted peak will be around the morning of June 10. You might catch some Arietids in the dark hour before dawn. Chart via EarthSky.
June 10 and 11 mornings: Moon near Saturn
On the mornings of June 10 and 11, the waning crescent moon will shine near Saturn. Look for them a few hours before sunrise. Chart via EarthSky.
June 15: New supermoon
This GOES-19 CORR1 coronagraph from November 18-19, 2025 (designed to show coronal mass ejections from the sun), captured a fun view of the new moon, which would normally not be visible from Earth during this phase. The moment of new moon will fall at 2:54 UTC on June 15, 2026. That’s 9:54 p.m. CDT on June 14. In fact, this is the 3rd of 5 new supermoons in a row. And it’s the closest new supermoon of 2026. It’ll be 221,966 miles (357,221 km) away. Compare that with the average moon distance of 238,900 miles (384,472 km). New moons rise and set with the sun. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing. Images via NOAA/ GOES.
June 15: Mercury at greatest elongation from the sun
From the Northern Hemisphere, shortly after sunset, Mercury will lie below the much brighter planets Venus and Jupiter, low in the West. It’ll reach its greatest elongation from the sun at 20 UTC on June 15. At that time, Mercury will be 25 degrees from the sun in our sky. Mercury will slip away before the end of the month. Chart via EarthSky.
From the Southern Hemisphere, shortly after sunset, Mercury will lie below the much brighter planets Venus and Jupiter, low in the West. It’ll reach its greatest elongation from the sun at 20 UTC on June 15. At that time, Mercury will be 25 degrees from the sun in our sky. Mercury will slip away before the end of the month. Chart via EarthSky.
June 16 after sunset: Moon, Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury
On the evening of June 16, shortly after sunset, check out the pretty waxing crescent moon. It’ll hang low in the western sky after sunset. And it’ll be near the brilliant planet Venus and the bright planet Jupiter, and close to the elusive planet Mercury. Look for them about 35 minutes after sunset. Chart via EarthSky.
June 17 after sunset: Spectacular! Moon, Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury
On the evening of June 17, about 40 minutes after sunset, check out the pretty waxing crescent moon. It’ll be close to the brilliant planet Venus and near the bright planet Jupiter. Plus, the planet Mercury is nearby. Also, look for the glow of earthshine on the unlit portion of the moon. That’s light reflected off Earth. Chart via EarthSky.
June 18 and 19 evenings: Moon, Venus, and Regulus
On the evenings of June 18 and 19, the waxing crescent moon will be near brilliant Venus and Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Regulus is the bright dot at the bottom of a backward question-mark pattern of stars known as the Sickle. They’ll set around midnight. Chart via EarthSky.
June 21: 1st quarter moon
Lorraine Boyd captured this view from New York on November 9, 2024. She wrote: “Peeking through tree limbs at the first quarter moon (50% illumination), just after sunset.” Thank you, Lorraine. This month’s moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 21:55 UTC on June 21, 2026. That’s 4:55 p.m. CDT. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown.
June Solstice
Satellite views of Earth on the solstices and equinoxes. From left to right, a June solstice, a September equinox, a December solstice and a March equinox. To understand these images, look at the poles. Notice that at the June solstice, the North Pole is in sunlight. At the December solstice, the South Pole is in sunlight. In 2026, the June solstice moment will fall at 8:25 UTC on June 21 (3:25 a.m. CDT). Photos via Robert Simmon (Sigma Space Corporation)/ NASA.
June 22 and 23 evenings: Moon and Spica
On the evenings of June 22 and 23, the waxing gibbous moon will be near Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. You can also catch them until after midnight. Chart via EarthSky.
June 26 and 27 evenings: Moon near Antares
As darkness falls on June 26 and 27, the bright waxing gibbous moon will shine near Antares. Antares is the brightest star in Scorpius, the Scorpion. Chart via EarthSky.
June 28 evening: Moon near Teapot
On the evening of June 28, the bright waxing gibbous moon will hang near the stars of the asterism of Sagittarius called the Teapot. Chart via EarthSky.
June 29: Full Strawberry Moon
At sunset on June 29, the full Strawberry Moon will rise in the east near the asterism of Sagittarius called the Teapot. Though the moon will be so bright that it will drown out the Teapot’s stars. The crest of the full moon falls at 23:57 UTC on June 29. That’s 6:57 p.m. CDT. Plus it’s the last of 3 full micromoons – or most distant full moons – in a row in 2026. It’ll be 251,811 miles (405,251 km) away. The average moon distance is 238,900 miles (384,472 km) away. Chart via EarthSky.
June 30 evening: Moon near Teapot
On the evening of June 30, the bright waning gibbous moon will hang near the stars of the asterism of Sagittarius called the Teapot. Look for them about an hour after sunset. They’ll be visible all night. Chart via EarthSky.
June evening planets
Here’s an all-sky chart – centered around June 8 – showing brilliant Venus shining in the west about 60 minutes after sunset with bright Jupiter lying next to it. Much closer to the western horizon is the fainter Mercury. Note that these planets lie along the path the sun travels in the sky (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.
In the 2nd half of June, Venus and Jupiter will move away from each other, with Jupiter slowly approaching the horizon. The much fainter Mercury will lie below Jupiter. As the month proceeds, Mercury will move closer to the horizon and become even fainter and more difficult to spot. Chart via EarthSky.
June morning planets: Northern Hemisphere
Here’s an all-sky chart showing the 2 planets in the eastern sky shortly before sunrise in June. The brightest and highest planet is Saturn. Closer to the horizon is Mars. As the month proceeds, Saturn will pull farther away from the slowly ascending Mars. Note that these planets lie along the path the sun travels in the sky (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.
In the first half of June, Mars sits low in the bright eastern twilight shortly before sunrise. In the second half of June, it rises higher and moves near the delicate Pleiades star cluster. Chart via EarthSky.
In June, Saturn will lie in the east as morning twilight begins. Chart via EarthSky.
June stars
If you’re out stargazing on any June evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the sky.
Boötes the Herdsman
Almost overhead on June evenings is bright orange Arcturus. It’s in the constellation Boötes the Herdsman. Boötes has the shape of a kite, and Arcturus is at the point where you’d attach a tail. You can’t miss its distinctive shape. Chart via EarthSky.
The Big Dipper and Little Dipper
Ursa Major, the Great Bear, is home to the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is an asterism – a well-known group of stars – not an official constellation. You’ll find the Big Dipper high overhead from mid-northern latitudes in June evening skies. You can use the 2 outer stars in the Big Dipper’s bowl – sometimes called the Pointers – to find Polaris, the North Star. It is the end star in the handle of the Little Dipper. Chart via EarthSky.
Hercules the Hero and the Hercules Cluster
Hercules the Strongman is a faint constellation. But its midsection contains the easy-to-see Keystone asterism. You can find Hercules between the bright stars Vega in Lyra the Harp and Arcturus in Boötes the Herdsman. And once you find the Keystone, you can easily locate M13, the Hercules Cluster. Chart via EarthSky.
Have fun exploring the sky!
Sky dome map for visible planets and the night sky
Here is the sky dome view for June 2026. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar.
Heliocentric solar system, visible planets, and more
Heliocentric view of the solar system, June 2026. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.
Bottom line: Visible planets and night sky guide. This evening, look for a wonderful planetary trio: Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury. Venus and Jupiter are inching closer together and will reach conjunction soon!
May 2026 has 2 full moons. The 1st was the full Flower Moon on May 1. The 2nd will be on overnight May 30-31. It’s a Blue Moon and a micromoon – or distant full moon – the most distant full moon of 2026.
The Full Blue Moon Overnight on May 30-31, 2026
The coming Blue Moon – at 8:45 UTC on May 31, 2026 – is a Blue Moon and the most distant full micromoon of this year. Blue Moons aren’t blue. But micromoons – near their monthly apogees, or most distant points from Earth for the month – are small moons on our sky’s dome (although not noticeably small to the human eye).
And this May 30-31 moon is 2026’s smallest moon. It’s about 252,360 miles (406,134 km) away, in contrast to an average moon distance of about 238,900 miles (384,472 km).
And so the May 30-31 full moon will be about 7% dimmer than an average full moon, and about 25–30% dimmer than a supermoon, or particularly close full moon.
The crest of this 2nd full moon of May falls at 8:45 UTC on May 31. That’s 3:45 a.m. CDT. So, if you live in the Americas, Europe, or Africa, the moon is at its fullest for you during the night of May 30. But those west of the International Date Line (Australia, New Zealand and Asia) will find their fullest moon on the night of May 31.
The May 30-31 Blue Moon and micromoon will be near a bright star. It’s Antares, Heart of the Scorpion, in the constellation Scorpius.
On May 30, the full Blue Moon will appear close to the bright red star Antares, Heart of Scorpius the Scorpion. The crest of the full moon falls at 8:45 UTC on May 31. That’s 3:45 a.m. CDT. So, it’s almost as full when it rises in the east after sunset on May 30 and May 31. And it’s the 2nd and most distant of 3 full micromoons – or most distant full moons – in a row in 2026. So it’ll be the smallest full moon of 2026. Chart via EarthSky.
What’s a Blue Moon?
So, why is the May 30-31 full moon a Blue Moon? It won’t be blue in color.
Blue-colored moons in images – such as the images on this page – are often made using special blue camera filters or in a post-processing program such as Photoshop. Usually, but not always.
True blue-colored moons are rare, and they aren’t necessarily full. They happen when Earth’s atmosphere contains dust or smoke particles of a certain size. The particles must be slightly wider than 900 nanometers.
So you might find particles of this size in the air above you when, for example, a wildfire is raging nearby. That’s because particles of this size are very efficient at scattering red light. When these particles are present in our air, and moonlight shines through them, the moon might appear blue in color.
People reported genuinely blue-looking moons after:
The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883.
The Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980.
“The awakening of Krakatau in 1883 was one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in modern history, second only to the eruption of Tambora in 1815, which killed 60,000 people. Its effects were felt all over the globe and even seemed to reach far into the stratosphere, making the moon appear blue at night.” Via The 1883 Krakatua Eruption: A Year of Blue Moons. Image and caption via Byelikova Oksana/Shutterstock.
What’s a Monthly Blue Moon?
In modern times, most of us know that Blue Moons emerged from folklore. We call a full moon a Blue Moon when it’s the 2nd full moon of a single calendar month. This sort of Blue Moon happens seven times in every 19 years, or about every two to three years.
Let’s take a look at the eight calendar-month Blue-Moons (dates in UTC) in the present 19-year Metonic cycle:
March 31, 2018
October 31, 2020
August 31, 2023
May 31, 2026
December 31, 2028
September 30, 2031
July 31, 2034
January 31, 2037
Also, in a year where February has no full moon at all, as in the year 2018, you can have two full moons in January and two full moons in March. Thus, during those years, there are two Blue Moons in a single year. The next time we have two Blue Moons in one year is 2037.
How often do monthly Blue Moons happen? Often!
Most Blue Moons are not blue in color. This photo of a moon among fast-moving clouds was created using special blue filters. Image via EarthSky friend Jv Noriega.
What’s a Seasonal Blue Moon?
By season, we’re referring to the period of time between a solstice and an equinox, or vice versa. We’re talking about winter, spring, summer, and fall. Each season typically lasts three months and has three full moons.
The next seasonal Blue Moon will fall on May 20, 2027. It happens because June 2027’s full moon falls about two days before the June solstice, early in the season of northern summer (southern winter). And thus, there’s enough time to squeeze four full moons into the 2027 March equinox season, which will end at the June solstice on June 21, 2027.
Weirdly, it’s not the 4th of these four full moons that’ll be called a Blue Moon. It’s the 3rd. Go figure.
Full moons (based on UTC date and time) between March 2027 equinox and June 2027 solstice:
March equinox: March 20, 2027
March full moon: March 22, 2027
April full moon: April 20, 2027
May full moon: May 20, 2027
June full moon: June 18, 2027
June solstice: June 21, 2027
A full “blue” moon. This image was likely made using a blue filter. Photo via Eileen Rollin/ Unsplash.
How Often Do Seasonal Blue Moons Occur?
The phases of the moon recur on or near the same calendar dates every 19 years. That’s because 235 lunar months (235 returns to full moon) almost exactly equal 19 calendar years. Sure enough, 19 years from 2024 – in the year 2043 – the full moons will fall on June 22, July 21, August 20, and September 18.
Seasonal Blue Moons occur because there are 235 full moons but only 76 seasons (4 x 19 = 76) in this 19-year lunar cycle. If you have only three full moons in each season, then that’s a total of 228 full moons (76 x 3 = 228). Yet, there are 235 full moons in this 19-year cycle. So, these seven additional full moons (235 – 228 = 7) have to showcase seven four-full-moon seasons in this 19-year period. We list upcoming seasonal Blue Moon UTC dates – following the August 19, 2024, seasonal Blue Moon – below:
May 20, 2027
August 24, 2029
August 21, 2032
May 22, 2035
May 18, 2038
August 22, 2040
August 20, 2043
How often do seasonal Blue Moons happen? Like monthly Blue Moons, they happen a lot.
A Seasonal and a Monthly Blue Moon in a Single Year?
Very rarely, a seasonal Blue Moon (3rd of four full moons in one season) and a monthly Blue Moon (2nd of two full moons in one calendar month) can occur in the same calendar year. For this to happen, you need 13 full moons between successive December solstices for a seasonal Blue Moon and, generally, 13 full moons in one calendar year for a monthly Blue Moon.
This will next happen in the year 2048, when a monthly Blue Moon falls on January 31, and a seasonal Blue Moon on August 23.
Then 19 years later, in the year 2067, there will be a monthly Blue Moon on March 30 and a seasonal Blue Moon on November 20. In this instance, there are 13 full moons between successive December solstices, but only 12 full moons in one calendar year and no February 2067 full moon.
Why Call them Blue Moons?
The idea of a Blue Moon as the 2nd full moon in a month is more recent – more modern – than the idea of a Blue Moon as the 3rd of four full moons in a season. It stemmed from the March 1946 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine. The magazine published an article called “Once in a Blue Moon” by James Hugh Pruett. Pruett was referring to the 1937 Maine Farmer’s Almanac, which defined Blue Moons as the 3rd of four full moons in a season. But he inadvertently simplified the definition. He wrote:
Seven times in 19 years, there were – and still are – 13 full moons in a year. This gives 11 months with one full moon each and one with two. This second in a month, so I interpret it, was called Blue Moon.
Had James Hugh Pruett looked at the actual date of the 1937 Blue Moon, he would have found that it had occurred on August 21, 1937. Also, there were only 12 full moons in 1937. You generally need 13 full moons in one calendar year to have two full moons in one calendar month.
However, that fortuitous oversight gave birth to a new and perfectly understandable definition for Blue Moon.
It’s very rare that you would see a moon that’s actually blue in color. This photo was created using special filters. Most Blue Moons you hear about are Blue in name only. Image via our friend Jv Noriega.
Blue Moons as Modern Folklore
The notion of a Blue Moon as the 2nd full moon of a calendar month was buried for decades. Then, in the late 1970s, Deborah Byrd happened upon a copy of the old 1946 issue of Sky and Telescope in the stacks of the Peridier Library at the University of Texas Astronomy Department. Afterward, she began using the term Blue Moon to describe the second full moon in a calendar month on the radio series StarDate, which she wrote and produced.
Later, this definition of Blue Moon was also popularized by a book for children by Margot McLoone-Basta, called The Kids’ World Almanac of Records and Facts, published in New York by World Almanac Publications in 1985. The second-full-moon-in-a-month definition was also used in the board game Trivial Pursuit.
Today, it has become part of modern folklore. As the folklorist Philip Hiscock wrote in his comprehensive article Once in a Blue Moon:
‘Old folklore’ it is not, but real folklore it is.
A hypothetical representation of a blue-colored moon. Blue-colored moons are extremely rare. They happen in a region that has experienced a major wildfire or a volcanic eruption. For example, people saw blue-colored moons after Krakatoa’s 1883 eruption and Mount St. Helens’ 1980 eruption. Will the May 30-31, 2026, full Blue Moon look this color? No. It’ll be a Blue Moon in name only. Image via BlueHypercane761/ Wikimedia Commons.
Bottom line: The full moon overnight on May 30-31, 2026, is a Blue Moon. What is a Blue Moon? The 2nd of two full moons in a calendar month? Or the 3rd of four full moons in a single season? The answer is … both!
May 1: Full Flower Moon lies between Antares and Spica
On the evening of May 1, the full Flower Moon will lie between the bright star Antares, brightest star in Scorpius, and Spica, brightest star in Virgo. The moon will also be close to the star Zubenelgenubi, brightest star in Libra. The crest of the full moon will be at 17:23 UTC on May 1. That’ll be 12:23 CDT. This is the first of 2 full moons in May. The 2nd one – a Blue Moon – will fall on May 30-31. This full moon is the first of several full micromoons in a row in 2026. See the image below. Chart via EarthSky.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Our friend Soumyadeep Mukherjee shared this comparison of a full supermoon (May 2021) and a full micromoon (December 2021). He wrote: “The apparent diameter of this supermoon was 33.9 arcminutes. Meanwhile, the micromoon appeared only 29.7 arcminutes large in the night sky.”
Start watching Venus and Jupiter!
Venus is the brightest planet in Earth’s sky. And Jupiter is the 2nd-brightest. About every 3 to 5 years, these 2 blazing worlds come together in Earth’s sky in a way that’s truly spectacular. They’re gearing up to do that now. Their conjunction will be around June 8 and 9. And, when closest, their distance on our sky’s dome will be roughly the width of your pinky finger held at arm’s length. Start watching them now! Each day, Venus will ascend higher while Jupiter sinks toward the western horizon. Wow!
All-sky chart showing bright Jupiter and even-brighter Venus after sunset. Each day, Venus will ascend higher in the western twilight. Jupiter will move closer to the western horizon. They’ll have a spectacular close encounter in June. You can’t miss these 2 worlds. They outshine all the stars! Chart via EarthSky.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Marcy Curran captured this image taken on April 28, 2026, from Wyoming. Marcy wrote: “I am looking forward to the upcoming pairing of Venus and Jupiter in June. Venus is finally rising above the evening twilight so it’s visible on our all-sky camera. Tonight, April 28, Venus and Jupiter were 45 degrees apart at that time. I hope to catch them occasionally as they gradually move toward each other over the next few months. On June 7 and 8, they’ll be approximately 3 times the width of a full moon apart. Watch for future updates when I get some more shots of them.”
May 2 evening: Moon near Antares
Late on the evening of May 2, the waning gibbous moon will be near the bright red star Antares. It’s the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius the Scorpion. They’ll be visible until dawn. Chart via EarthSky.
May 4: Moon reaches apogee
The moon’s orbit around Earth isn’t a circle. But it’s nearly circular, as the above diagram shows. The moon will reach apogee – its farthest distance from Earth in its elliptical orbit – at 23 UTC on May 4, 2026, when it’s 252,176 miles (405,839 km) away. Diagram by Brian Koberlein. Used with permission.
May 4 and 5 mornings: Moon near Antares and Scorpius
On the morning of May 4 and 5, the waning gibbous moon will be near the bright red star Antares. Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius the Scorpion. Look for them before dawn. Chart via EarthSky.
May 5 before dawn: Eta Aquariid meteor shower
The radiant point of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower will be near the star Eta Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. The radiant will rise in the wee hours after midnight and will continue climbing toward its highest point at dawn. That highest point will be in the south as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, closer to overhead for the Southern Hemisphere. That’s why the Southern Hemisphere will see more meteors (the radiant will be higher up), and it’s why – for all of us around the globe – the hours before dawn on May 5, 2026, will be best for this shower. The 2026 Eta Aquariids will compete with a bright waning gibbous moon, reducing how many meteors you might see. Chart via EarthSky.
May 6 and 7 mornings: Moon and the Teapot
On the morning of May 6, the waning gibbous moon will hang among the stars of the asterism of Sagittariuscalled the Teapot. Then on May 7, the moon will hang beside the Teapot. Look for them a few hours before dawn. Chart via EarthSky.
May 9: Watch for the 3rd quarter moon
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mohamed Mohamed in Tripoli, Libya, captured the last quarter moon on December 23, 2024. Thank you, Mohamed! The moment of the 3rd quarter moon will fall at 21:10 UTC on May 9, 2026. That’s 4:10 p.m. CDT. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.
May 8, 9, and 10 mornings: Moon near Capricornus
On the mornings of May 8, 9, and 10, the moon will shine in front of the stars of the constellation Capricornusthe Sea Goat. The moon will reach the 3rd quarter phase on May 9. The stars of Capricornus form a pattern that resembles an arrowhead. Look for them before dawn. However, the constellation is faint. Therefore, you’ll need a dark sky to spot it. Chart via EarthSky.
May 13 and 14 mornings: Moon near Mars and Saturn
On the mornings of May 13 and 14, a thin waning crescent moon will shine near Saturn and Mars. Look for them about 45 minutes before sunrise. Saturn will rise first in the eastern morning twilight. Below it in the bright twilight will be the fainter planet Mars. Chart via EarthSky.
May 15 morning: Moon near Mars and Saturn
On the morning of May 15, about 30 minutes before sunrise, the very thin waning crescent moon will lie above the horizon and near Saturn and Mars. Chart via EarthSky.
May 16: New supermoon
This GOES-19 CORR1 coronagraph from November 18-19, 2025 (designed to show coronal mass ejections from the sun), captured a fun view of the new moon, which would normally not be visible from Earth during this phase. The moment of new moon will fall at 20:01 UTC on May 16, 2026. That’s 3:01 p.m. CDT. In fact, this is the 2nd of 5 new supermoons in a row. It’ll be 222,819 miles (358,594 km) away. Compare that with the average moon distance of 238,900 miles (384,472 km). New moons rise and set with the sun. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze. Images via NOAA/GOES.
May morning planets: Northern Hemisphere
The all-sky chart shows Mars and Saturn are low in the east shortly before sunrise in mid-May. As the month proceeds, Saturn will rise more quickly than the slowly ascending Mars. This will create a greater distance between them in the morning sky. Note that these planets lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.
May 17: Moon reaches perigee
The moon’s orbit around Earth isn’t a circle. But it’s nearly circular, as the above diagram shows. The moon will reach perigee – its closest point to us in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 14 UTC on May 17, 2026. Then it’ll be 222,497 miles (358,075 km) away from Earth. Diagram by Brian Koberlein. Used with permission.
May 17 after sunset: Moon, Venus, and Jupiter
On the evening of May 17, shortly after sunset, check out the pretty waxing crescent moon. It’ll hang low in the western sky after sunset. And it’ll be near the brilliant planet Venus. Look for them about an hour after sunset. Higher in the sky is the bright planet Jupiter. They’ll set a couple hours after sunset. Keep any eye on the 2 bright planets. They will be only 3-moon-widths apart around June 8. Spectacular! Also, look for the delicate glow of earthshine on the unlit side of the moon. That’s light reflected off the Earth. Chart via EarthSky.
May 18, 19, and 20 evenings: Moon near Venus and Jupiter
On May 18, about 60 minutes after sunset, the waxing crescent moon will lie close to Venus. It’ll be glowing with earthshine. That’s light reflected off the Earth. On May 19, as darkness falls, the moon will lie between Venus and Jupiter. Then, on May 20, the moon will float close to Jupiter and the twin stars of Gemini, Castor, and Pollux. They’ll set before midnight. Chart via EarthSky.
May 22 and 23 evenings: Moon, Regulus, and the Sickle
On the evening of May 22, the waxing crescent moon will be near Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Regulus is the bright dot at the bottom of a backward question-mark pattern of stars known as the Sickle. Then, on May 23, the 1st quarter moon will lie beside the Sickle. They’ll set after midnight. Chart via EarthSky.
May 23: 1st quarter moon
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lorraine Boyd captured this view from New York on November 9, 2024. She wrote: “Peeking through tree limbs at the first quarter moon (50% illumination), just after sunset.” Thank you, Lorraine. This month’s moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 11:11 UTC on May 23, 2026. That’s 6:11 a.m. CDT. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown.
May 26 and 27 evenings: Moon near Spica
Late on the evenings of May 26 and 27, the waxing gibbous moon will be close to Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. The star might be hard to see in the moon’s bright glow. They’ll set several hours after midnight. Chart via EarthSky.
May 28 and 29 evenings: Moon near Antares and Zubenelgenubi
In the late evening hours of May 28 and 29, the bright waxing gibbous moon will shine near Antares and the star with the strange-sounding name, Zubenelgenubi. Antares is the brightest star in Scorpius, the Scorpion. And Zubenelgenubi is the brightest star in Libra, the Scales. Chart via EarthSky.
May 30-31 overnight: Full Blue Moon and smallest full moon of 2026
At sunset on May 30, the full Blue Moon will rise in the east close to the bright red star Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion. The crest of the full moon falls at 8:45 UTC on May 31. That’s 3:45 a.m. CDT. So, it’s almost as full when it rises in the east after sunset on May 30 and May 31. Plus it’s the second of three full micromoons – or most distant full moons – in a row in 2026. In fact, it’ll be the smallest full moon of 2026. It’ll be 252,360 miles (406,135 km) away. The average moon distance is 238,900 miles (384,472 km) away. Chart via EarthSky.
May stars
If you’re out stargazing on any May evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the sky.
On May evenings, the Big Dipper is high overhead in the sky. The Big Dipper is an asterism – a well know pattern of stars – in the constellation of Ursa Major the Great Bear. It’s handy to locate the North Star, Polaris. And you can use the Big Dipper to locate Leo the Lion. Draw an imaginary line southward from the pointer stars in the Big Dipper – the 2 outer stars in the Dipper’s bowl – to point toward Leo the Lion. The brightest star in Leo is Regulus.
On May evenings, near your zenith – overhead in the sky – you’ll see Leo the Lion. There are 2 main shapes that make up Leo. First are the stars that form a backward question mark representing Leo’s head. This is also known as the Sickle. The bright star Regulus is the period at the bottom of the backward question mark. The second shape is the triangle that represents the Lion’s hindquarters. Scan Leo with even a medium-sized telescope and you’ll spy some of the dozens of galaxies in this region of the sky. Chart via EarthSky.
The Spring Triangle is an asterism with 3 bright stars at its corners: Arcturus, Spica, and Regulus. All 3 stars are in different constellations. Regulus is in Leo the Lion. Arcturus is in Boötes the Herdsman. And Spica is in Virgothe Maiden. But some stargazers see a smaller triangle of stars. This trio of stars consists of Arcturus, Spica, and Denebola, a star in Leo. Image via EarthSky.
May evening planets
Brilliant Venus lies above the western horizon as darkness falls. Bright Jupiter shines higher in the sky. Throughout the month, the 2 planets will move closer to each other. They will have a spectacular close encounter around June 8. They’ll be about 9 degrees apart at the end of May. And both of them will set before midnight by month’s end. Chart via EarthSky.
As darkness falls, Jupiter will shine brightly high in the western sky. And it’ll be near the twin stars of Gemini, Castor (the slightly dimmer one) and Pollux (the slightly brighter one). The moon and Jupiter will make a lovely pair on May 20. Jupiter and Venus will be inching closer to each other all month and will make a spectacular pair in the evening sky around June 8. Jupiter will set around midnight by month’s end. Chart via EarthSky.
For viewers in the Northern Hemisphere, on the last few days of May, little Mercury will appear in the bright evening twilight low above the western horizon. Brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter will shine nearby. Mercury will reach its greatest distance from the sun on June 15. Chart via EarthSky.
For viewers in the Southern Hemisphere, on the last few days of May, little Mercury will appear in the bright evening twilight low above the western horizon. Brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter will shine nearby. Mercury will reach its greatest distance from the sun on June 15. Chart via EarthSky.
May morning planets
In the first half of May, Saturn will sit low in the bright eastern twilight shortly before sunrise. And, nearby and closer to the horizon, look for the dimmer planet Mars. In the second half of May, Saturn will pull away from Mars, and Mars will slowly climb higher behind it. Chart via EarthSky.
Sky dome map for visible planets and the night sky
Here is the sky dome view for May 2026. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar.
Heliocentric solar system, visible planets, and more
Heliocentric view of solar system, May 2026. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.
Bottom line: Look for the full Flower Moon to rise in the east as the sun goes down in the west. The full moon will float across the sky during the night and set in the west around sunrise.
Hooray! It’s meteor time! That’s right, the Lyrid meteor shower rambles across for a few weeks around April 22.
So, how can you optimize your chances of seeing a great meteor display? Follow the tips below.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jeremy Evans of California captured a Lyrid meteor zipping along the Milky Way on April 22, 2025.
1. Know the peak time
Generally, meteor showers happen over many days as Earth encounters a wide stream of icy particles in space. These particles are debris left behind by a comet. So the peak is a point in time when Earth is expected to encounter the greatest number of comet particles.
And here’s the catch … the peak of the shower comes at the same time for all of us on Earth. Meanwhile, our clocks are saying different times. You’ll often need to adjust from UTC to your local time.
However, the predictions are not always right on the money. And remember … it’s possible to see nice meteor displays in the hours – even days – before or after the predicted peak.
Also, keep in mind that meteor showers are part of nature. So naturally, they often defy prediction.
2. Location, location, location
We can’t say this strongly enough. It’s important to have a dark place to observe in the country.
And … you need a wide-open view of the sky. A farmer’s field? Maybe a stretch of country road? Or a campsite with a clear view in one or more directions? That’s because an open sky will increase your chances of seeing some meteors.
3. Oh no! The moon is out
During a meteor shower, a bright moon is not your friend. In fact, nothing dampens the display of a meteor shower more effectively than a bright moon.
If the moon is out, look at areas of the sky away from the moon. Anything in the moon’s vicinity – including meteors – will likely be washed out by its bright light. And, another tip for watching in moonlight: place some object between yourself and the moon. Observing from the shadow of a barn, or vehicle, even a tree, can help you see more meteors. Basically, place yourself somewhere in the moon’s shadow.
4. Know the expected rate
Here, we touch on a topic that sometimes leads to some disappointment, especially among novice meteor-watchers: the rate.
Tables of meteor showers almost always list what is known as the zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) for each shower.
So the ZHR is the number of meteors you’ll see if you’re watching in a very dark sky, with the radiant overhead, when the shower is at its peak. In other words, the ZHR represents the number of meteors you might see per hour, given the very best observing conditions during the shower’s maximum.
If the peak occurs when it’s still daylight at your location, if most of the meteors are predominantly faint, if a bright moon is out or if you’re located in a light-polluted area, the total number of meteors you see will be considerably reduced.
5. Don’t worry too much about radiant points
You don’t need to stare all night in a single direction – or even locate the radiant point – to have fun watching the shower. The meteors will appear all over the sky.
But … although you can see meteors shoot up from the horizon before a shower’s radiant rises, you’ll see more meteors after it rises. And you’ll see the most when the radiant is highest in the sky. So, find out the radiant point’s rising time. Then you can pinpoint the best time of night to watch the shower.
And … the radiant point is interesting. If you track meteors backward on the sky’s dome, you’ll find them streaming from their radiant point, a single point within a given constellation. Hence the meteor shower’s name.
6. Watch for an hour or more
Meteor showers will be better if you let your eyes adapt to the dark. That can take as long as 20 minutes. Plus, the meteors tend to come in spurts, followed by lulls. So, be patient! You’ll see some.
7. Notice the meteors’ speeds and colors
The Leonids are the swiftest meteors and the Taurids are the slowest meteors. The nice thing about a slow or medium speed meteor shower – such as the Lyrids – is that if you see one and yell “meteor,” other people can catch it as well.
In fact, of the upcoming meteor showers … the Lyrids and the Delta Aquariids are medium-speed showers. The Eta Aquariids and Perseids are swift meteors.
Plus, the April Lyrids, the December Geminids, and the August Perseids can be colorful.
8. Watch for meteor trains
A meteor train is a persistent glow in the air left by some meteors after they have faded from view. Trains are from luminous ionized matter left in the wake of this incoming space debris. Some of the bright Lyrid meteors leave a persistent train. So you might be lucky and see one.
9. Bring a blanket, a buddy, a hot drink, and a lawn chair
A reclining lawn chair helps you lie back in comfort for an hour or more of meteor-watching.
If several of you are watching, take different parts of the sky. If you see one, shout “Meteor!” Dress warmly; the nights can be cool or cold, even during the summer months. You’ll probably appreciate that blanket and warm drink in the wee hours of the morning. Also, leave your laptops and tablets at home; even using the nighttime dark mode will ruin your night vision. And this will be tough on some people: leave your cell phone in your pocket or the car. It can also ruin your night vision.
10. Enjoy nature
Relax and enjoy the night sky. Not every meteor shower is a winner. Sometimes, you may come away from a shower seeing only one meteor. But if that one meteor is bright, and takes a slow path across a starry night sky … it’ll be worth it.
To be successful at observing any meteor shower, you need to get into a kind of zen state, waiting and expecting the meteors to come to you, if you place yourself in a good position (country location, wide open sky) to see them.
Or forget the zen state, and let yourself be guided by this old meteor watcher’s motto:
You might see a lot or you might not see many, but if you stay in the house, you won’t see any.
Photos of meteors from EarthSky’s community
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi of United Arab Emirates submitted this photo on December 14, 2024, and wrote: “My brother and I decided to go to an area away from light pollution between the mountains in UAE, and despite the moonlight that filled the place, we were able to see and photograph many meteors and fireballs. A special and completely clear night.”
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jeff Berkes in Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland, shared this stunning image of a Geminid meteor he captured on December 14, 2024. Jeff wrote: “The wind was really blowing off the ocean, kicking up some nice waves, which created some minor erosion along the shoreline. I never let the moon or the cold keep me in for the Geminids!”
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Some of the stars of the Big Dipper are part of an open cluster called the Ursa Major Moving Group. On September 6, 2024, Susan Jensen captured this image and wrote: “Right place, right time! Standing on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere, looking across a stubble field. This slow-moving, vibrant meteor stopped me in my tracks! I was shooting the Big Dipper with the shutter locked to catch multiple frames for stacking when this monster did a slow flyby. How lucky that I was able to capture it!”
Bottom line: Meteor showers are unpredictable, but always a fun and relaxing time. Optimize your viewing with these tips.
When to watch in 2026: After midnight and through dawn on the morning of April 22. The predicted peak is 19:15 UTC on April 22. The peak of the Lyrids is narrow (no weeks-long stretches of meteor-watching, as with some showers). In 2026, the first quarter moon falls at 2:32 UTC on April 24. So, meteor watching after midnight and before dawn on April 22 will be under a dark and moonless sky. Radiant: Rises before midnight, highest in the sky at dawn. Nearest moon phase: First quarter moon falls at 2:32 UTC on April 24. So a fat waxing crescent moon – that sets after midnight – won’t interfere with the peak morning of the 2026 Lyrid meteor shower. The best time to watch is after midnight and before dawn on the morning of April 22. Duration of shower: April 15 to April 29. This time period is when we’re passing through the meteor stream in space! Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: In a dark sky with no moon, you might see 10 to 15 Lyrids per hour. The Lyrids are known for uncommon surges that can sometimes bring rates of up to 100 per hour! Lyrids are also known for their bright and colorful meteors, sometimes even producing fireballs. Fireballs are exceptionally bright meteors that outshine the planet, Venus. Note for Southern Hemisphere: This shower’s radiant point is far to the north on the sky’s dome. So the Southern Hemisphere will see fewer Lyrid meteors. Still, you might see some! Meteor train possibilities? In a moonless sky, a few Lyrid meteors can leave persistent trains. That is, they leave a trail of ionized gases that glow for a few seconds after the meteor has passed. Lyrids are known to produce fireballs.
Lyrid meteors radiate from near the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp. You don’t need to identify Vega or Lyra in order to watch the Lyrid meteor shower. But you do need to know when the radiant rises, in this case in the northeast before midnight. That’s why the Lyrids are typically best between midnight and dawn.\
May 2026 meteors … the Eta Aquariids
When to watch: The best morning to watch is May 5, 2026, in the hours before dawn. The American Meteor Society is listing 3:51 UTC on May 5 as the shower’s predicted peak time. The fact is that the peak of this shower stretches out over several days. So you can expect elevated numbers of meteors a few days before and after the peak time. The mornings of both May 4 and May 6 are also good times to watch! Nearest moon phase: The last quarter moon will fall at 21:10 UTC on May 9. So, there will be a waning gibbous moon in the post-midnight sky that sets after sunrise. So the sky before dawn on the mornings around the predicted peak for the 2026 Eta Aquariids will compete with a bright gibbous moon. Find a way to block out the moon for a better view of the sky. Radiant: will rise in the wee hours, climbing toward its highest point at dawn. That’s why the hours before dawn will be the best time to watch this shower. Duration of shower: April 15 to May 27. This time period is when we’re passing through the Eta Aquariid meteor stream in space! Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: The zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of this shower (the rate at the shower’s peak, under a dark sky, with no moon, when the radiant is high in the sky) is 60. In 2026, a waning gibbous moon will severely affect this shower, reducing hourly rates. And be aware that the shower is best for latitudes like those in the southern half of the U.S. or even farther south, in the Southern Hemisphere. These are swift meteors that produce a high percentage of persistent trains. Note: The Eta Aquariids’ radiant will be on the ecliptic, which will ride low in the sky on spring mornings as seen from far northerly latitudes. This shower favors more southerly latitudes (like those in the southern U.S. or the Southern Hemisphere), where the radiant appears higher in the morning sky. It’s often the Southern Hemisphere’s best meteor shower of the year.
The radiant point of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower will be near the star Eta Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. The radiant will rise in the wee hours after midnight and will continue climbing toward its highest point at dawn. That highest point will be in the south as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, closer to overhead for the Southern Hemisphere. That’s why the Southern Hemisphere will see more meteors (the radiant will be higher up), and it’s why – for all of us around the globe – the hours before dawn will be best for this shower.
June 2026 daytime meteor shower … the Arietids
Most meteor showers are easy to observe. Just find a dark sky, and look up! But what about meteor showers that happen in the daytime, when the sun is up? The Arietids are sometimes said to be the most active daytime meteor shower. In 2026, their predicted peak will be around the morning of June 10. You might catch some Arietids around that morning in the dark hour before dawn.
When to watch: Watch from May 22 to July 3. There’s a predicted peak for the mornings around June 10, 2026. Watch for them in the sunrise direction in the dark hour before dawn breaks. Nearest moon phase: In 2026, a 3rd quarter moon occurs at 10:00 UTC on June 8. So on the mornings around June 10, a thick waxing crescent moon will interfere with watching for meteors. Watch from a place that’s in the moon’s shadow or find a distant object to block out the light of the moon. Radiant: The shower’s radiant point – the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to radiate – is in the constellation Aries. You’ll find this constellation in the east before sunrise. Duration of shower: May 22 to July 3. Expected meteors at peak: This is tricky for daytime meteor showers because once the sun comes up, you won’t be able to see them. But the Arietids have a strong zenithal hourly rate (ZHR)! Meteor counts with radar and radio echoes have indicated a rate of 60 meteors per hour, and perhaps as high as 200 meteors per hour. Note: The Arietids are sometimes said to be the most active daytime meteor shower.
The Arietids are an active shower, but they’re visible mostly in daytime. Watch for them in the sunrise direction in the dark hour before dawn from May 22 to July 3. You’ll be looking for meteors that shoot up from the horizon. The radiant is below the constellation Aries the Ram. Chart by EarthSky.
Meteor shower words of wisdom
A wise person once said that meteor showers are like fishing. You go, you enjoy nature … and sometimes you catch something.
Bottom line: Up next is the Lyrid meteor shower, they’ll be best after midnight and before dawn on April 22. And good news, they will be under a dark and moonless sky.
**Peak times for meteor showers provided by Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society. Note that predictions for meteor shower peak times may vary.
March 28 and 29 Evenings: Moon, Regulus, and the Sickle
On the evenings of March 28 and 29, the waxing gibbous moon will be near Regulus, the brightest star in Leothe Lion. Regulus is the bright dot at the bottom of a backward question-mark pattern of stars known as the Sickle. They’ll set before sunrise the next morning. Chart via EarthSky.
April 1-2 All Night: Full Pink Moon near Spica
On the evening of April 1, the full Pink Moon will lie below the bright star Spica. If you can’t spot Spica in the bright moon glow, block out the moon with a finger, and the star will pop into view. The crest of the full moon will be at 2:12 UTC on April 2. That’ll be 9:12 CDT on April 1. The moon will look full and round all night. Chart via EarthSky.
April 2 Evening: Moon near Spica
On the evening of April 2, the waning gibbous moon will be near Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. You can also catch them through dawn. Chart via EarthSky.
Southern Hemisphere: Mercury Farthest from Sunrise on April 3
On April 3, 2026, Mercury will reach what astronomers called greatest elongation. That’s when Mercury is farthest (28 degrees) from the sunrise. This is the Southern Hemisphere view, and it’s a great time to spot Mercury and Mars from the Southern Hemisphere! From the Northern Hemisphere, the ecliptic – or sun’s path (green line on our chart) – will slant down to the right. So Mars and Mercury will appear closer to the horizon and will be much harder to see. After April 3, Mercury will drop back toward the sunrise. It’ll be getting brighter, making it briefly easier to spot in the morning twilight, before it disappears in the sun’s glare. Meanwhile, Mars will continue its steady climb away from the sunrise, in the weeks and months to come. Chart via EarthSky.
April 3 Evening: Moon near Spica and Zubenelgenubi
In the evening hours of April 3, the waning gibbous moon will float near the moderately bright star with the odd-sounding name, Zubenelgenubi. It’s the brightest star in the Libra the Scales. The bright star Spica is nearby. You can catch them through dawn the next morning. Chart via EarthSky.
April Evening Planets
Sphere chart showing bright Jupiter and Venus about 60 minutes after sunset in the April evening sky. Each day, Venus will ascend higher while Jupiter moves closer to the western horizon. They will have a spectacular close encounter in June. Note that these planets lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.
April 6 and 7 Mornings: Moon Meets up with Antares and Scorpius
On the morning of April 6, the waning gibbous moon will be near the bright red star Antares. Also nearby are 3 moderately bright stars known collectively as the Crown of Scorpius. Then on the morning of April 7, the moon will be near the distinctive letter J – or fishhook – pattern of stars that makes up the constellation of Scorpiusthe Scorpion. Look for them before dawn. Chart via EarthSky.
April 7: Moon Reaches Apogee
The moon’s orbit around Earth isn’t a circle. But it’s nearly circular, as the above diagram shows. The moon will reach apogee – its farthest distance from Earth in its elliptical orbit – at 9 UTC on April 7, 2026, when it’s 251,636 miles (404,970 km) away. Diagram by Brian Koberlein. Used with permission.
April 8 and 9 Mornings: Moon and the Teapot
On the mornings of April 8 and 9, the waning gibbous moon will hang close to the asterism of Sagittarius called the Teapot. Look for them about a few hours before dawn. Chart via EarthSky.
April 10: Watch for the 3rd Quarter Moon
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mohamed Mohamed in Tripoli, Libya, captured the last quarter moon on December 23, 2024. Thank you, Mohamed! The moment of the 3rd quarter moon will fall at 4:52 UTC on April 10, 2026. That’s 11:52 p.m. CDT on April 9. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.
April 11 and 12 Mornings: Moon near Capricornus
On the mornings of April 11 and 12, the waning crescent moon will shine in front of the stars of the constellations of Capricornus the Sea Goat. The stars of Capricornus form a pattern that resembles an arrowhead. Look for them about 60 minutes before sunrise. However, the constellation is faint. Therefore, you’ll need a dark sky to spot it. Chart via EarthSky.
April 13 and 14 Mornings: Slender Old Crescent Moon
A thin waning crescent moon will hang low near the eastern horizon on April 13 and 14. Look for the delicate glow of earthshine on the unlit portion of the moon. That’s light reflected off the Earth. Look for them about an hour before sunrise. Chart via EarthSky.
April 15 Morning, Southern Hemisphere: Moon near Mercury, Mars, and Saturn
On April 15, from the Southern Hemisphere, a thin waning crescent moon will shine above Mercury, Mars and Saturn. Look for them about 60 minutes before sunrise. Mercury will rise first in the eastern morning twilight. Below it in the bright twilight are the fainter planets Mars and Saturn. Meanwhile, observers in the Northern Hemisphere will probably only see the waning crescent moon. Chart via EarthSky.
The mid-April Daytime Planet Parade
Planet parades are popular on social media. They aren’t that unusual, though, because the planets always follow a line across the sky. Here’s a sphere chart showing the daylight view – around noon on April 15 – of the sun and all 5 bright planets in our solar system. Of course, you won’t be able to see the planets during the day. Even though we can’t see them, they are there along the ecliptic (the green line). The ecliptic is the path the sun takes across our sky. You’ll find the moon and planets follow that path as well. So in April, Mercury, Mars and Saturn are rising and setting before the sun. And Venus and Jupiter are following the sun, so you can still spot them for a while after the sun sets. Chart via EarthSky.
April 17: New Supermoon
This GOES-19 CORR1 coronagraph from November 18-19, 2025 (designed to show coronal mass ejections from the sun), captured a fun view of the new moon, which would normally not be visible from Earth during this phase. The moment of new moon will fall at 11:52 UTC on April 17, 2026. That’s 6:52 a.m. CDT on April 17. In fact, this is the first of 5 new supermoons in a row. It’ll be 226,299 miles (364,194 kilometers) away. Compare that with the average moon distance of 238,900 miles (384,472 km). New moons rise and set with the sun. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze. Images via NOAA/GOES.
April Morning Planets: Northern Hemisphere
All-sky chart showing 3 planets low in the east shortly before sunrise from mid-to-late April. The brightest will be Mercury. Saturn and Mars are much dimmer than Mercury. Mercury will descend and slip away by early next month. Meanwhile, Mars and Saturn will continue to ascend and be visible before dawn later this spring. Note that these planets lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.
April 18 and 19 After Sunset: Moon, Venus, Aldebaran, and the Pleiades
On the evenings of April 18 and 19, check out the pretty waxing crescent moon. It’ll hang low in the western sky after sunset. And it’ll be near the brilliant planet Venus. Look for them about an hour after sunset. On April 18, it’ll make a close pass by brilliant Venus. Then on the next evening, it’ll lie near the famous Pleiades star cluster, also known as the 7 Sisters. The bright orange giant star Aldebaran is nearby. The Pleiades star cluster and Aldebaran are in the constellation Taurus the Bull. They’ll set before midnight. Chart via EarthSky.
April 19: Moon Reaches Perigee
The moon’s orbit around Earth isn’t a circle. But it’s nearly circular, as the above diagram shows. The moon will reach perigee – its closest point to us in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 7 UTC on April 19, 2026. Then it’ll be 224,706 miles (361,630 km) away from Earth. Diagram by Brian Koberlein. Used with permission.
April 20 Morning, Southern Hemisphere: Tight Trio of Planets in the Morning Twilight
On the morning of April 20, viewers in the Southern Hemisphere will see 3 planets – Mercury, Saturn and Mars – bunched together low on the eastern horizon. Look for them around dawn or at the beginning of morning twilight. Mercury will easily be the brightest and easiest to spot of the 3 planets. Observers in the northern latitudes may not be able to spot the planets that morning. Chart via EarthSky.
April 20 Evening: Moon, Venus, and the Pleiades
On April 20, about 90 minutes after sunset, the waxing crescent moon will hang near Venus. The bright star Aldebaran and the delicate Pleiades star cluster will lie between them. They’ll set around midnight. Chart via EarthSky.
April 21 and 22 Evenings: Moon, Jupiter, and Twin Stars
On the evenings of April 22 and 23, the waxing crescent moon will lie near bright Jupiter and the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. They’ll set after midnight. Chart via EarthSky.
April 22: Lyrid Meteor Shower
Lyrid meteors radiate from near the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp. You don’t need to identify Vega or Lyra in order to watch the Lyrid meteor shower. But you do need to know when the radiantrises. It’ll rise in the northeast before midnight. The best time to watch is after midnight and before dawn – in a moon-free sky – on the morning of April 22.
April 24: 1st Quarter Moon
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lorraine Boyd captured this view from New York on November 9, 2024. She wrote: “Peeking through tree limbs at the first quarter moon (50% illumination), just after sunset.” Thank you, Lorraine. This month’s moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 2:32 UTC on April 24, 2026. That’s 9:32 p.m. CDT on April 23. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown.
April 24 and 25 Evenings: Moon, Regulus, and the Sickle
On the evenings of April 24 and 25, the waxing gibbous moon will be near Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Regulus is the bright dot at the bottom of a backward question-mark pattern of stars known as the Sickle. They’ll set several hours after midnight. Chart via EarthSky.
April 28, 29, and 30 Evenings: Moon and Spica
Late on the evenings of April 28, 29 and 30, the waxing gibbous moon will be near Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. The star might be hard to see in the moon’s bright glow. You can also catch them before dawn. Chart via EarthSky.
April Stars and Constellations
If you’re out stargazing on any April evening, look for these stars and constellations high overhead in the evening sky. Give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness.
You can use the Big Dipper to locate Leo the Lion. Draw an imaginary line southward from the pointer stars in the Big Dipper – the 2 outer stars in the Dipper’s bowl – to point toward Leo the Lion. The brightest star in Leo is Regulus. Under darker skies, you’ll see Regulus marks the bright dot at the bottom of the backward question mark that forms Leo’s Sickle. It’s also an asterism and part of Leo the Lion.
The Spring Triangle is an asterism with 3 bright stars at its corners: Arcturus, Spica, and Regulus. All 3 stars are in different constellations. And some stargazers speak of the Spring Triangle as including Denebola instead of Regulus. Image via EarthSky.
April Evening Planets
In the first half of April, brilliant Venus will be low in the west, near the Pleiades star cluster and the orange star Aldebaran. By month’s end, Venus has climbed higher, moving between the Pleiades and Aldebaran. It’ll set about 90 minutes after sunset on April 1. And it’ll set about 2 hours after sunset on April 30. The waxing crescent moon will be near Venus on April 19. Chart via EarthSky.
As darkness falls, Jupiter will shine brightly high in the sky. And it’ll be near the twin stars of Gemini, Castor (the slightly dimmer one) and Pollux (the slightly brighter one). The moon and Jupiter make a lovely pair on April 22. Jupiter will set about 3 hours after midnight on April 1. And it’ll set about an hour after midnight by month’s end. Chart via EarthSky.
April Morning Planets
In early April, for the Northern Hemisphere, Mercury will lie very low above the eastern horizon shortly before sunrise. The twilight will compete with and may hinder your ability to spot the little planet. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will have a better view of Mercury this month. And on April 3, 2026, Mercury will reach greatest elongation – when Mercury is farthest from the sunrise (28 degrees) – on our sky’s dome. Chart via EarthSky.
By late April, for the Southern Hemisphere, Mercury will lie close to the horizon shortly before sunrise and will slip away in early May. However, Saturn and Mars will be climbing higher each day, becoming more visible in the morning sky. Chart via EarthSky.
Sky Dome Map for Visible Planets and Night Sky
Here is the sky dome view for April 2026. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar.
Heliocentric Solar System: Visible Planets and More
Heliocentric view of solar system, April 2026. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission. Heliocentric view of solar system, April 2026. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission. Plus, Guy Ottewell explains heliocentric charts here.
Bottom line: Visible planets and night sky guide. Tonight, see the slightly bulging gibbous moon lying between bright Jupiter and the twin stars of Gemini. And don’t miss our video about the new sungrazing comet.
The March equinox is on its way! Here’s all you need to know about it.
What is it? The March equinox – aka the vernal equinox – marks the sun’s crossing above Earth’s equator, moving from south to north. Earth’s tilt on its axis is what causes this northward shift of the sun’s path across our sky at this time of year. Earth’s tilt is now bringing spring and summer to the Northern Hemisphere. At the same time, the March equinox marks the beginning of autumn – and a shift toward winter – in the Southern Hemisphere. When is it? The sun crosses the celestial equator – a line directly above Earth’s equator – at 14:46 UTC on March 20, 2026 (9:46 a.m. CDT).
No matter where you are on Earth, the equinox brings us a number of seasonal effects, noticeable to nature lovers around the globe.
Equal Day and Night on the Equinox?
At the equinox, Earth’s two hemispheres are receiving the sun’s rays equally. Night and day are often said to be equal in length. In fact, the word equinox comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). For our ancestors, whose timekeeping was less precise than ours, day and night likely did seem equal. But today we know it’s not exactly so.
Fastest Sunsets at the Equinoxes
The fastest sunsets and sunrises of the year happen at the equinoxes. We’re talking here about the length of time it takes for the whole sun to sink below the horizon.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Iaroslav Kourzenkov of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, captured this image of the sunset on the equinox on March 20, 2023.
Sun Rises Due East and Sets Due West?
Here’s another equinox phenomenon. You might hear that the sun rises due east and sets due west at the equinox. Is that true? Yes, it is. In fact, it’s the case no matter where you live on Earth, with the exception of the North and South Poles. At the equinoxes, the sun appears overhead at noon as seen from Earth’s equator, as the illustration below shows. This illustration shows the sun’s location on the celestial equator, every hour, on the day of the equinox.
No matter where you are on Earth – except at the Earth’s North and South Poles – you have a due east and due west point on your horizon. That point marks the intersection of your horizon with the celestial equator: the imaginary line above the true equator of the Earth.
The sun is on the celestial equator, and the celestial equator intersects all of our horizons at points due east and due west. Voila! The sun rises due east and sets due west.
The day arc of the sun, every hour, at the equinox, as seen on the (imaginary) celestial sphere surrounding Earth. At the equinox, the sun is directly above Earth’s equator. Image via Tau’olunga/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5).
More March Equinox Effects
And there are also plenty more effects in play around the time of the March equinox that all of us can notice. In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox brings earlier sunrises, later sunsets, and sprouting plants.
Meanwhile, you’ll find the opposite season – later sunrises, earlier sunsets, chillier winds, dry and falling leaves – south of the equator.
The equinoxes and solstices are caused by Earth’s tilt on its axis and ceaseless motion in orbit. You can think of an equinox as happening on the imaginary dome of our sky, or as an event that happens in Earth’s orbit around the sun.
The Earth-Centered View
If you think of it from an Earth-centered perspective, you can think of the celestial equator as a great circle dividing Earth’s sky into its Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The celestial equator is an imaginary line wrapping the sky directly above Earth’s equator. At the equinox, the sun crosses the celestial equator to enter the sky’s Northern Hemisphere.
The day arc of the equinox sun as seen from Earth’s equator. Also showing are twilight suns (in red) down to -18 degrees altitude. Note that the sun is at its highest point at noon. And see that the tree’s shadow at noon is cast straight down. That is – as seen from the equator on the day of an equinox – a tree stands in the center of its own shadow. Image via Tau’olunga/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5).
The Earth-In-Space View
If you think of it from an Earth-in-space perspective, you have to think of Earth in orbit around the sun. And we all know Earth doesn’t orbit upright but is instead tilted on its axis by 23 1/2 degrees. So Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres trade places in receiving the sun’s light and warmth most directly. We have an equinox twice a year – spring and fall – when the tilt of the Earth’s axis and Earth’s orbit around the sun combine in such a way that the axis is inclined neither away from nor toward the sun.
Things Change Fast Around the Equinoxes
Since Earth never stops moving around the sun, the position of the sunrise and sunset – and the days of approximately equal sunlight and night – will change quickly.
The equinox is an event that takes place in Earth’s orbit around the sun. Image via NOAA/ National Weather Service/ weather.gov.
Where are Signs of the March Equinox in Nature?
Everywhere! Forget about the weather for a moment, and think only about daylight. In terms of daylight, the knowledge that spring is here – and summer is coming – permeates all of nature on the northern half of Earth’s globe.
Notice the arc of the sun across the sky each day. You’ll find that it’s shifting toward the north. Responding to the change in daylight, birds and butterflies are migrating back northward, too, along with the path of the sun.
The longer days do bring with them warmer weather. People are leaving their winter coats at home. Trees are budding, and plants are beginning a new cycle of growth. In many places, spring flowers are beginning to bloom.
Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, the days are getting shorter and nights longer. A chill is in the air. Fall is here, and winter is coming!
Bottom line: Happy equinox! The 2026 March equinox falls on March 20 at 14:46 UTC.
Planets orbit their parent stars while separated by enormous distances. In our solar system, planets are like grains of sand in a region the size of a football field. The times that planets take to orbit their suns have no specific relationship to one another.
But sometimes, their orbits display striking patterns. For example, astronomers studying six planets orbiting a star 100 light-years away have found that they orbit their star with an almost rhythmic beat, in perfect synchrony. Each pair of planets completes its orbit in a time that is a ratio of whole numbers, allowing the planets to align and exert gravitational push and pull on each other during their orbits.
This type of gravitational alignment is called orbital resonance, and it’s like a harmony between distant planets.
Harmony of the Spheres
Greek mathematician Pythagoras discovered the principles of musical harmony 2,500 years ago by analyzing the sounds of blacksmiths’ hammers and plucked strings.
He believed mathematics was at the heart of the natural world. He proposed that the sun, moon, and planets each emit unique hums based on their orbital properties. Pythagoras thought this “music of the spheres” would be imperceptible to the human ear.
Four hundred years ago, Johannes Kepler picked up this idea. He proposed that musical intervals and harmonies described the motions of the six known planets at the time.
To Kepler, the solar system had two basses, Jupiter and Saturn; a tenor, Mars; two altos, Venus and Earth; and a soprano, Mercury. These roles reflected how long it took each planet to orbit the sun, with lower speeds for the outer planets and higher speeds for the inner planets.
He called the book he wrote on these mathematical relationships The Harmony of the World. While these ideas have some similarities to the concept of orbital resonance, planets don’t actually make sounds, since sound can’t travel through the vacuum of space.
Orbital Resonance
Resonance happens when planets or moons have orbital periods that are ratios of whole numbers. The orbital period is the time taken for a planet to make one complete circuit of the star. So, for example, two planets orbiting a star would be in a 2:1 resonance when one planet takes twice as long as the other to orbit the star. Resonance is seen in only 5% of planetary systems.
Orbital resonance, as seen with Jupiter’s moons, happens when planetary bodies’ orbits line up. For example, Io orbits Jupiter 4 times in the time it takes Europa to orbit twice and Ganymede to orbit once. Image via WolfmanSF/ Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0).
In the solar system, Neptune and Pluto are in a 3:2 resonance. There’s also a triple resonance, 4:2:1, among Jupiter’s three moons Ganymede, Europa, and Io. In the time it takes Ganymede to orbit Jupiter, Europa orbits twice, and Io orbits four times. Resonances occur naturally when planets happen to have orbital periods that are the ratio of whole numbers.
The Relation to Music
Musical intervals describe the relationship between two musical notes. In the musical analogy, important musical intervals based on ratios of frequencies are the fourth, 4:3, the fifth, 3:2, and the octave, 2:1. Anyone who plays the guitar or the piano might recognize these intervals.
What Does Orbital Resonance Do?
Orbital resonances can change how gravity influences two bodies, causing them to speed up, slow down, stabilize on their orbital path, and sometimes have their orbits disrupted.
Think of pushing a child on a swing. A planet and a swing both have a natural frequency. Give the child a push that matches the swing motion, and they’ll get a boost. They’ll also get a boost if you push them every other time they’re in that position, or every third time. But push them at random times, sometimes with the motion of the swing and sometimes against, and they get no boost.
For planets, the boost can keep them continuing on their orbital paths, but it’s much more likely to disrupt their orbits.
Exoplanet Resonance
Exoplanets, or planets outside the solar system, show striking examples of resonance, not just between two objects but also between resonant “chains” involving three or more objects.
The star Gliese 876 has three planets with orbit period ratios of 4:2:1, just like Jupiter’s three moons. Kepler 223 has four planets with ratios of 8:6:4:3.
The red dwarf Kepler 80 has five planets with ratios of 9:6:4:3:2, and TOI 178 has six planets, of which five are in a resonant chain with ratios of 18:9:6:4:3.
TRAPPIST-1 is the record holder. It has seven Earth-like planets, two of which might be habitable, with orbit ratios of 24:15:9:6:4:3:2.
The newest example of a resonant chain is the HD 110067 system. It’s about 100 light-years away and has six sub-Neptune planets, a common type of exoplanet, with orbit ratios of 54:36:24:16:12:9. The discovery is interesting because most resonance chains are unstable and disappear over time.
Despite these examples, resonant chains are rare, and only 1% of all planetary systems display them. Astronomers think that planets form in resonance, but small gravitational nudges from passing stars and wandering planets erase the resonance over time. With HD 110067, the resonant chain has survived for billions of years, offering a rare and pristine view of the system as it was when it formed.
Orbit Sonification
Astronomers use a technique called sonification to translate complex visual data into sound. It gives people a different way to appreciate the beautiful images from the Hubble Space Telescope, and it has been applied to X-ray data and gravitational waves.
With exoplanets, sonification can convey the mathematical relationships of their orbits. Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory created what they call music of the spheres for the TOI 178 system by associating a sound on a pentatonic scale with each of the five planets.
A similar musical translation has been done for the TRAPPIST-1 system, with the orbital frequencies scaled up by a factor of 212 million to bring them into audible range.
Astronomers have also created a sonification for the HD 110067 system. People may not agree on whether these renditions sound like actual music, but it’s inspiring to see Pythagoras’ ideas realized after 2,500 years.
Bottom line: What is orbital resonance? It’s a precise dance between heavenly bodies when their orbits line up, causing them to have specific synchronicities.
Total Lunar Eclipse of the Full Blood Moon on March 2-3, 2026
A total lunar eclipse of the full Blood Moon will sweep across the Pacific Ocean and western North America on March 2-3, 2026. The Blood Moon will be high in the sky for East Asia on the evening of March 3. East of the International Date Line – in Hawaii – the eclipse starts on the evening of March 2. Half a world away, in North America, we’ll have an early morning eclipse on March 3. We’ll be watching the eclipse as the Blood Moon sinks in the west before dawn. Japan, New Zealand, and most of Australia will see the entire event. From central Asia, the moon will rise with the eclipse already in progress. None of the eclipse will be visible from eastern Europe, Africa, or western Asia.
And the next total lunar eclipse will be on the morning of New Year’s Eve in 2028. It’s already being widely called the New Year’s Eve Blood Moon, and it’ll occur on December 31, 2028.
Total eclipses can turn the moon a deep shade of red. That’s why you’ll hear this eclipse called a Blood Moon eclipse. The shade of red on the moon will depend mostly on what’s happening in Earth’s atmosphere at the moment of the eclipse. How dark red will the March 2026 total lunar eclipse be?
Map showing the areas of visibility for the March 2-3, 2026, total lunar eclipse of the full Blood Moon. Image via Dominic Ford from In-The-Sky.org. Used with permission.
The crest of the full moon occurs at 11:38 UTC on March 3. That’s 5:38 a.m. CST. Also, that morning, at 3:50 a.m. CST on March 3, the moon begins to pass through Earth’s umbral (dark) shadow. It becomes totally eclipsed from 5:04 to 6:03 a.m CST. And the bright star Regulus is nearby. By 7:17 a.m. CST the moon has exited the umbral (dark) shadow, ending the total lunar eclipse. Chart via EarthSky.
Eclipse Details
Full moon occurs at 11:38 UTC on March 3 (5:38 a.m. CST). That’s 35 minutes after totality begins. Penumbral eclipse begins at 8:43:58 UTC (2:43 a.m. CST) on March 3. Partial eclipse begins at 9:49:37 UTC (3:49 a.m. CST) on March 3. Totality begins (moon engulfed in Earth’s shadow) begins at 11:03:54 UTC (5:03 a.m. CST) on March 3. Maximum eclipse is at 11:33:40 UTC (5:33 a.m. CST) on March 3. Totality ends at 12:02:53 UTC (6:02 a.m. CST) on March 3. Partial eclipse ends at 13:17:26 UTC (7:17 a.m. CST) on March 3. Penumbral eclipse ends at 14:23:19 UTC (8:23 a.m. CST) on March 3.
The duration of totality is about 59 minutes.
Note: A total lunar eclipse is when the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in space, with Earth in the middle. Earth’s shadow falls on the moon.
Also, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the unaided eye. Binoculars and telescopes – and a dark sky – enhance the view, but aren’t required.
At 3:50 a.m. CST on March 3, the moon begins to pass through Earth’s umbral shadow. It becomes totally eclipsed from 5:04 a.m. to 6:03 a.m CST. Can you spot the bright star Regulus near the moon during the eclipse? By 7:17 a.m. CST the moon has exited the umbral shadow, ending the total lunar eclipse. And the farther east you live in North America, the less of the eclipse you’ll see, because the moon will set before the entire event is over.
Moon, Constellation, Saros
The moment of greatest eclipse takes place 6.5 days after the moon reaches perigee, its closest point from Earth for the month.
At mid-eclipse, the moon is located in the direction of the constellation Leo the Lion.
The Saros catalog describes the periodicity of eclipses. This March 2-3 total lunar eclipse belongs to Saros 133. It is number 27 of 71 eclipses in the series. All eclipses in this series occur at the moon’s descending node. The moon moves northward with respect to the node with each succeeding eclipse in the series.
The instant of greatest eclipse – when the axis of the Earth’s shadow cone passes closest to the moon’s center – takes place at 11:33 UTC on March 3. The moon will lie at zenith – directly overhead – in the Pacific Ocean.
Also, the duration of totality lasts 59 minutes!
Next Eclipse of this Eclipse Season
This total lunar eclipse of March 2-3, 2026, was preceded two weeks earlier by an annular solar eclipse on February 17, 2026. These eclipses all take place during a single eclipse season.
An eclipse season is an approximate 35-day period during which it’s inevitable for at least two (and possibly three) eclipses to take place. In 2026, we have another eclipse season in August with a total solar eclipse on August 12 and a partial lunar eclipse on August 28.
March Full Moon is the Worm Moon
The 2026 March full moon is the Worm Moon. All the full moons have popular nicknames. Popular names for the March full moon are Worm Moon, Crow Moon, and Sap Moon. The name Worm Moon honors the stirring of earthworms and insect larvae in the slowly warming late winter and early spring soil.
March Full Moon is in Leo
The full moon on the night of March 3, 2026, is located in the direction of the constellation Leo the Lion. The moon is roundest on the day when it is full, but the day before and the day after, it appears almost, but not quite, full.
And the next total lunar eclipse is on December 31, 2028. It’ll be the first of three total lunar eclipses in a row. After the total eclipse on December 31, 2028, there will be one on June 26, 2029, and another one on December 20, 2029.
Bottom line: Overnight on March 2-3, 2026, there will be a total lunar eclipse of the full Blood Moon.
Given the flair with which the Moon circles the Earth, it’s not at all strange that both humans and animals would become fascinated with it. In the past hundred years, certain folk names for the full moons have popped up in modern American culture, although many of them go back centuries. Recorded in English as far back as 1779 (and possibly even further back in French), Indigenous peoples of the Americas have named the full moons, often in alignment with animals responding to the changing seasons, or locally important events.
Full moon names varied widely depending on geographic location and language family amongst Native Americans, as wildlife responds differently depending on the length of the day, i.e., there is less sunlight in Massachusetts in October than in Maryland on the same day. For example, in some locations one full moon might be named “Goose Moon,” while in another location the same time period could be the “Cold Moon.” The practice of naming moons this way doesn’t seem to have been historically universal, and in the centuries since it was first recorded by colonists, misinformation has proliferated. For our purposes, using supposed Algonquian full moon names as a starting point provides a wonderful opportunity for us to explore Maryland’s unique wildlife and how the seasons change!
Winter Moons:
January
This moon is sometimes called the Wolf Moon, which may have European colonial origins.
Gray wolves (Canis lupus) were hunted to extinction in Maryland centuries ago; the closest wild canine today is the coyote (Canis latrans). Present in Maryland since 1972, Coyotes moved into new areas of North America following both the extirpation of the gray wolf and the thinning of deciduous forests across the East Coast. Prior to this, they were largely confined to the western prairie, likely to avoid competition with wolves, who are noticeably larger. Coyotes in Maryland are larger than western coyotes, averaging about 30-40 pounds – about the size of a border collie.
Coyotes are closely related to the gray wolf, and occasionally hybridize with gray wolf subspecies. Observations of hybridizing go back to the 1930s and 1940s in the Great Lakes area, where coyotes colonizing former wolf ranges interbred with remaining wolf populations.
Coyotes running through the snow in West Virginia. Photo by ForestWander.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 US, via Wikimedia Commons
The species is highly adaptable, with urban coyotes in densely populated areas actually living longer than urban coyotes with more “natural” spaces, while still managing to avoid human contact.
Coyotes generally avoid humans, even when living in urban areas, but sometimes people will report being followed by a coyote, especially while walking their dogs. This behavior is called “escorting” and is most common when pups are growing; it is thought that this is parents checking up on potential threats to their young in their territory.
Midwinter finds coyote family packs forming. Coyotes may construct dens or clean out old dens of other species. They line their dens with dried grasses, and or the soft fur of the parents. It takes about 63 days for a litter to gestate, at which point an average of six pups are born. Unlike other canines, eastern coyote pups fight before they play; doing this is thought to help the pups establish an internal hierarchy, allowing them to relax into a more recreational environment.
Coyotes in the wetlands of Hart-Miller Island, photo by Cory Byrne.
Perhaps we should call January’s Moon the Coyote Moon!
Suggested Coyote Moon Activities: Make a den with couch pillows, chairs, blankets, and other soft materials. Try to see how well you can conceal the entrance to the “den.”
Practice coyote greetings! Coyotes are talkative! They have a wide range of different vocalizations, and the new year is always a good time to learn a new language.
February
Writing in 1779, explorer Jonathan Carver cites this time period as the Snow Moon, for obvious reasons! Another name that may be Algonquian is Groundhog Moon.
Groundhog family holding a meeting by Abubakar Ringim, DNR Photo Contest 2023
Groundhogs, also called woodchucks, whistlepigs, marmots, and land beavers (the list goes on), are the largest member of the squirrel family that lives in Maryland. Their species name “monax” comes from one of their Algonquian names, which translates to “digger.” Another Algonquian name, “wejack,” is likely where the name “woodchuck” originates. The name “whistlepig” comes from this sound groundhogs occasionally make as an alarm call.
You may notice that the Groundhog Moon, being in February, also generally coincides with Groundhog Day. This tradition was brought to America from Europe, except there it was a badger: “The badger peeps out of his hole on Candlemas Day (February 2), and, if he finds snow, walks abroad; but if he sees the sun shining, he draws back into his hole.” This was written in the diary of Baltimore farmer Dickinson Gorsuch III in 1861.
Adult groundhogs eat up to a pound of vegetation a day, which can sometimes lead to unwanted interactions with gardeners. While we are used to watching bears fatten in the fall, groundhogs begin fattening up for winter in June, eating as much as they can to produce fat deposits they can use through hibernation. They are mostly herbivorous, occasionally eating insects, with the rare addition of bird eggs.
Suggested Groundhog Moon Activities:Make up a new tongue-twister for one of the other names of the groundhog! Many of us are familiar with the classic “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”, but the same attention hasn’t been given to the names whistlepig or groundhog! Coming up with a new one is a great way to pass some time and dig up some giggles.
Prepare a groundhog salad, using lettuce and raspberries to mimic their diet in the wild. Noodle-style croutons can easily substitute for grubs.
March
March has been referred to as either the Worm Moon or the Goose Moon.
While in modern times people have come to associate this usage of the word “worm” with earthworms, historical texts point towards caterpillars and other larvae rather than earthworms.
Caterpillars serve as a food source for countless Maryland species; many of those that don’t become lunch instead become beautiful and interesting butterflies and moths as adults.
Efforts have surged in recent years to support monarch butterflies in Maryland by planting native milkweeds, and in supporting native plants, we do the same for all the wildlife that calls our small but mighty state our home.
Suggested Worm Moon Activities:Plant or plan a Moon Garden!
Moon gardens are gardens with night-blooming flowers, or flowers that stay open all the time. When you use native plants in a moon garden, you provide important habitat for lesser-thought-of pollinators like moths, and have the added benefit of supporting Maryland’s native bats! Whippoorwills and other nightjars are also fans of moths as a prey source, and by planting host plants for native moths, you support these unique and beautiful nocturnal birds!
Friday, August 28, Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30, 2026: The weather today will be partly sunny. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. Northwest winds of around 5 to 10 mph. The chance of rain is 20%. Saturday will be mostly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning, with […]
Some places reveal themselves slowly. Driving along the roads surrounding Deep Creek Lake, it would be easy to miss the gravel lane off of Sand Flat Road leading to Blackthorne Cellars. There are no grand entrances or dramatic announcements. Instead, visitors find themselves winding down a quiet drive before suddenly emerging into an unexpectedly beautiful […]
People in Africa, Europe, most of the Americas, and the eastern Pacific Ocean will see a deep lunar eclipse overnight on August 27-28, 2026. The eclipse won’t be total. But it’ll be nearly total, with 96% of the moon within the Earth’s dark umbral shadow at mid-eclipse. Lunar eclipses are a whole-Earth event. But you […]
The weather today will be mostly sunny. Isolated showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall this afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds of around 5 to 10 mph. The chance of rain is 20%. Federal lawmakers have secured $1 million in congressionally directed funding to bring radiation oncology services […]
WVU Medicine Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC) welcomed U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, representatives from the office of U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, and U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney for a special presentation recognizing $1 million in congressionally directed spending that the lawmakers secured to support planning for radiation oncology services at Garrett Regional Medical Center. […]
As students prepare to return to school on Monday, August 31, Garrett County Public Schools is reminding students, families, and motorists about the importance of bus stop safety. School bus stops are busy areas where students, families, and motorists all have a role to play in keeping children safe. A few simple precautions can help […]
The weather today will be patchy fog this morning. Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 70s. South winds of around 5 to 10 mph. Patchy fog this morning. Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 70s. South winds of around 5 to 10 Mph. Don’t miss masterpiece structures’ End-of-Summer Sale ending August 31! Visit […]
Western SBDC, County Business Development, College are sponsors Three organizations are joining forces to offer “Powering Possibilities,” a networking event designed for aspiring and established entrepreneurs. The Western Small Business Development Center, Garrett County Business Development, and Garrett College are jointly sponsoring the event, which will take place on Tuesday, September 15th from 6-8 p.m. […]
The weather today will be mostly sunny, with highs in the lower 70s. West winds of around 5 to 10 mph. Maryland ranks as the 14th hardest-working state in the nation, driven largely by residents facing the 2nd longest average commute times in the country. Despite heavy work demands, the state also balances its busy […]
The weather today will be mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. West winds of around 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph. Get your trees and yard ready for fall with 3G Tree Service. Schedule your service before October 1st with promo code “HAPPY FALL YALL” to lock in 10% […]
