All articles tagged with #skywatching
The February 2026 full moon, known as the Snow Moon, will peak on February 1st and is visible worldwide, offering a great opportunity for skywatchers to observe lunar details and related celestial events, with tips for optimal viewing and photography.
The first full moon of 2026, known as the wolf moon, is also a supermoon, making it appear larger and brighter due to its proximity to Earth. It can be best viewed around sunset on Sunday night from a dark spot, and no special equipment is needed. The event offers a spectacular skywatching opportunity, with additional celestial sights like Jupiter nearby, and the next supermoon will occur in November.
The first supermoon and meteor shower of the year will occur in January, with the Quadrantid meteor shower peaking and coinciding with a supermoon, though the bright moon may reduce the visibility of meteors to less than 10 per hour for observers.
The night of January 2-3, 2026, will feature the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower, known for its high meteor activity, along with the year's first supermoon, the Super Wolf Moon, although weather conditions may hinder viewing. The meteor shower originates from asteroid 2003 EH1 and is best observed away from light pollution after midnight, while the supermoon will be visible in the early morning hours of January 3.
Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) may become the 'great comet' of 2026, with potential brightness ranging from binocular visibility to naked-eye brightness, peaking in late April 2026 as it approaches perihelion and Earth, but its actual brightness remains unpredictable.
2026 offers numerous exciting skywatching events including eclipses, planetary conjunctions, meteor showers, and a supermoon, providing spectacular opportunities for astronomy enthusiasts to observe the night sky.
The first supermoon and Quadrantid meteor shower of the year will occur in January, but the bright moonlight may reduce the visibility of the meteors, which are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere in dark skies before dawn. Both events are visible without special equipment, with the meteor shower peaking Friday night into Saturday morning and the supermoon visible throughout the night.
A bright green fireball was sighted streaking across the sky over southeast New Hampshire, captured on dash camera and reported by multiple witnesses, but its exact nature remains unknown.
A bright green fireball was sighted streaking across the sky over southeast New Hampshire, captured on dash camera and reported by multiple witnesses, but its exact nature remains uncertain.
On Christmas night 2025, stargazers can enjoy viewing the waxing crescent moon, Saturn, Jupiter, and Polaris, along with prominent constellations and star clusters, making for a spectacular winter sky experience.
2025 was a spectacular year for skywatchers, featuring notable events such as a rare occultation of Mars by the Wolf Moon, the appearance of a 'great comet' (C/2024 G3 Atlas), the successful landing of Firefly's Blue Ghost on the moon, stunning auroras and vapor tracers, and the discovery of an interstellar comet (3I/ATLAS). These events, along with lunar eclipses and meteor showers, provided breathtaking celestial displays throughout the year.
The Ursid meteor shower peaks just before Christmas, offering a modest display of 5 to 10 meteors per hour, with potential outbursts, visible from the Northern Hemisphere until December 26, best seen from dark skies away from city lights, originating from comet 8P/Tuttle near the constellation Ursa Minor.
The Ursid meteor shower peaks from December 18-26, offering a modest display of 5-10 meteors per hour, visible from the Northern Hemisphere with minimal moonlight interference, and requires no special equipment—just dark skies and patience to enjoy streaks from the constellation Ursa Minor.
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will be closest to Earth at 1 a.m. EST on December 19, passing about 168 million miles away, providing a rare scientific opportunity to study material from another star system, with a live online stream available for skywatchers.
The last supermoon of 2025, called the Cold Moon, will occur on December 4, appearing larger and brighter due to its proximity to Earth, and is best viewed around moonrise from an elevated, unobstructed location.