Astronomical events of 2026

This year promises to be a spectacular one for skywatchers, offering an exceptional mix of planetary alignments, eclipses, comets and meteor showers. With all of these events, there will be plenty of reasons to look up throughout the year.

According to information from starwalk.space, around Feb. 28, observers will be treated to an impressive planetary alignment involving six planets. Assuming the skies are clear enough in our region, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, Venus and Mercury will appear strung across the sky, stretching upward from the western horizon toward an almost full moon.

Venus, Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter will be bright enough to see with the naked eye. Venus will shine brilliantly near the horizon with Mercury just above it. Looking higher in the sky, Saturn will appear and should have a golden glow. Jupiter will also be close to the moon and have an intense brilliance. Observers with binoculars or a small telescope can attempt to spot Uranus, which will be located about halfway between Jupiter and the cluster of brighter planets. It may be challenging to detect, but these outer planets complete a rare and visually striking celestial lineup.

One of the year’s big celestial events in North Idaho arrives on the night of March 3, when a total lunar eclipse will turn the moon into a deep coppery red, known as a “blood moon.” During an eclipse, the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow on the moon and causing it to appear dimmed or even reddish. This phenomenon blocks direct sunlight from reaching the moon, and the only light that filters through the Earth’s atmosphere is red, which bends around the planet, often creating a reddish glow.

The totality of the eclipse will last for 58 minutes, while the full eclipse, from start to finish, will span more than five hours. This eclipse coincides with the March full moon, traditionally known as the “worm moon.” The name comes from Indigenous North American traditions and reflects the seasonal thaw, when earthworms reappear and spring approaches.

This year will also give us an opportunity to see a comet. Around April 25, comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) is expected to reach peak brightness. Some optimistic forecasts suggest it could brighten significantly, possibly becoming visible to the naked eye. If this occurs, it may turn out to be the brightest comet of 2026.

If one is looking for the comet, it will appear in the northern sky after sunset as a faint, fuzzy glow, possibly with a subtle tail. While it is unlikely to match the views of other big historical comets such as Hale-Bopp in 1997, it still offers a rare opportunity to observe a newly discovered visitor from the outer solar system.

On May 31, we’ll have the second full moon of the month, which will be called a “blue moon.” Although a blue moon does not relate to color, there are also rare occasions when it may appear bluish. This can happen during specific atmospheric conditions when there is fine smoke, dust particles from forest fires or volcanic eruptions in the air.

It will also be a “micromoon.” At this time, the moon will be at its farthest point from Earth and will appear about 5.5% smaller and 10.5% dimmer than an average full moon and may be subtle to casual observers.

On June 9, the two brightest planets in the night sky, Venus and Jupiter, will make a close approach to each other. This event will be visible shortly after sunset, the pairing will be striking to stargazers and other enthusiasts and can be seen with the naked eye.

Aug. 12 will be one of the most extraordinary days of the year for astronomy enthusiasts. Before sunrise, a six-planet parade will unfold across the sky that features Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn and Neptune. The planets will rise sequentially through the night, forming an extended arc from east to southwest.

Later that day, there will be a total solar eclipse. Unfortunately, the northwestern U.S. will be missed, as the path of totality will cross Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and Spain. As night falls, the Perseid meteor shower will be visible. With a new moon guaranteeing dark skies, conditions are expected to be ideal for viewing. The peak of this meteor shower occurs Aug. 13, but the nights of Aug. 12 and 13 will offer the best viewing, especially away from city lights. It’s possible that a rate of 90 meteors per hour will be seen during the two nights.

In terms of our local weather, after a period of dry weather, there is a chance of snow developing by this weekend. Only 14.6 inches has fallen at Cliff Harris’s station thus far, which is well below the average to date of about 42 inches. 

From late January and into February, conditions are expected to be wetter across the Inland Northwest as a series of storms is expected to move in from the Pacific Ocean. There is still the chance of more snow, but warmer air from the south will continue to move northward at times that will likely change the snow to rain in the lower elevations.

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Contact Randy Mann at [email protected].