Sky events in the next 12 months
Meteor showers, eclipses, planets at their brightest and close pairings, with local times and where to look from your city. Dates are computed with astronomy-engine; meteor-shower rates come from the International Meteor Organization.
- 4 October 2026Saturn at opposition 2026Saturn is opposite the Sun: it rises at sunset, is highest around midnight and is visible all night. It is at its brightest of the year, around magnitude 0.2, in the constellation Cetus.
- 21 October 2026Orionids 2026The Orionids are a meteor shower: Earth crosses the dust left by 1P/Halley, and the grains burn up at 66 km/s. Meteors seem to come from the constellation Orion. The International Meteor Organization lists a peak rate (ZHR) of about 20 per hour under a perfect, dark sky with the radiant overhead; from a city you will see far fewer.
- 16 November 2026Mars and Jupiter side by side, 16 November 2026Mars and Jupiter appear only 1.2° apart, less than three full-Moon widths. They are not physically close; they just line up as seen from Earth. Binoculars show both in the same view.
- 14 December 2026Geminids 2026The Geminids are a meteor shower: Earth crosses the dust left by 3200 Phaethon, and the grains burn up at 35 km/s. Meteors seem to come from the constellation Gemini. The International Meteor Organization lists a peak rate (ZHR) of about 150 per hour under a perfect, dark sky with the radiant overhead; from a city you will see far fewer.
- 3 January 2027Quadrantids 2027The Quadrantids are a meteor shower: Earth crosses the dust left by 2003 EH1, and the grains burn up at 41 km/s. Meteors seem to come from the constellation Boötes. The International Meteor Organization lists a peak rate (ZHR) of about 80 per hour under a perfect, dark sky with the radiant overhead; from a city you will see far fewer.
- 11 February 2027Jupiter at opposition 2027Jupiter is opposite the Sun: it rises at sunset, is highest around midnight and is visible all night. It is at its brightest of the year, around magnitude -2.6, in the constellation Leo.
- 19 February 2027Mars at opposition 2027Mars is opposite the Sun: it rises at sunset, is highest around midnight and is visible all night. It is at its brightest of the year, around magnitude -1.2, in the constellation Leo.
- 22 April 2027Lyrids 2027The Lyrids are a meteor shower: Earth crosses the dust left by C/1861 G1 (Thatcher), and the grains burn up at 49 km/s. Meteors seem to come from the constellation Lyra. The International Meteor Organization lists a peak rate (ZHR) of about 18 per hour under a perfect, dark sky with the radiant overhead; from a city you will see far fewer.
- 7 May 2027Venus and Saturn side by side, 7 May 2027Venus and Saturn appear only 0.6° apart, less than three full-Moon widths. They are not physically close; they just line up as seen from Earth. Binoculars show both in the same view.
- 2 August 2027Partial solar eclipse, 2 August 2027The Moon passes in front of the Sun. The eclipse is total along a narrow track further south; from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK part of the Sun is covered. Never look at the Sun without certified eclipse glasses (ISO 12312-2); sunglasses are not enough.
- 12 August 2027Perseids 2027The Perseids are a meteor shower: Earth crosses the dust left by 109P/Swift–Tuttle, and the grains burn up at 59 km/s. Meteors seem to come from the constellation Perseus. The International Meteor Organization lists a peak rate (ZHR) of about 100 per hour under a perfect, dark sky with the radiant overhead; from a city you will see far fewer.