Astronomical Algorithms Sky events computed for 2026

Astronomy calendar 2026

The 96 computed sky events of 2026: oppositions, conjunctions and greatest elongations of the planets, the start and end of every retrograde period, the four phases of the Moon, the equinoxes and the solstices.

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Highlights of 2026

All dates and times are in Universal Time (UTC). Subtract or add your time zone offset: an event late in the evening UTC falls on the next calendar day east of Greenwich.

2026 month by month

JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember

January 2026

Date UTC Event Details
10:03 Full Moon 362,311 km from Earth.
– Earth at perihelion Closest to the Sun: 0.9833 AU (147.1 million km).
– Venus at superior conjunction On the far side of the Sun, 1.711 AU from Earth. Not observable.
– Mars in conjunction with the Sun Behind the Sun as seen from Earth, not observable. 2.403 AU from Earth.
– Jupiter at opposition Opposite the Sun, visible all night. 4.232 AU from Earth (633.1 million km).
15:48 Last quarter
19:52 New Moon 395,423 km from Earth.
– Mercury at superior conjunction On the far side of the Sun, 1.417 AU from Earth. Not observable.
04:47 First quarter

February 2026

Date UTC Event Details
22:09 Full Moon 371,381 km from Earth.
– Uranus turns direct Stationary in Taurus, then resumes its eastward motion.
12:43 Last quarter
12:01 New Moon 384,500 km from Earth.
– Mercury at greatest elongation east 18.1° east of the Sun: best evening visibility.
12:28 First quarter
– Mercury turns retrograde Stationary in Pisces, then moves westward against the stars.

March 2026

Date UTC Event Details
11:38 Full Moon 382,606 km from Earth.
– Mercury at inferior conjunction Passes between Earth and the Sun, 0.627 AU from Earth. Not observable.
– Jupiter turns direct Stationary in Gemini, then resumes its eastward motion.
09:39 Last quarter
01:24 New Moon 373,328 km from Earth.
14:46 March equinox Day and night of equal length. Spring begins in the northern hemisphere, autumn in the southern.
– Mercury turns direct Stationary in Aquarius, then resumes its eastward motion.
– Neptune in conjunction with the Sun Behind the Sun as seen from Earth, not observable. 30.879 AU from Earth.
– Saturn in conjunction with the Sun Behind the Sun as seen from Earth, not observable. 10.489 AU from Earth.
19:18 First quarter

April 2026

Date UTC Event Details
02:12 Full Moon 393,593 km from Earth.
– Mercury at greatest elongation west 27.8° west of the Sun: best morning visibility.
04:52 Last quarter
11:52 New Moon 364,196 km from Earth.
02:32 First quarter

May 2026

Date UTC Event Details
17:23 Full Moon 402,002 km from Earth.
21:10 Last quarter
– Mercury at superior conjunction On the far side of the Sun, 1.323 AU from Earth. Not observable.
20:01 New Moon 358,595 km from Earth.
– Uranus in conjunction with the Sun Behind the Sun as seen from Earth, not observable. 20.477 AU from Earth.
11:11 First quarter
08:45 Full Moon 406,134 km from Earth.

June 2026

Date UTC Event Details
10:01 Last quarter
02:54 New Moon 357,220 km from Earth.
– Mercury at greatest elongation east 24.5° east of the Sun: best evening visibility.
08:24 June solstice The Sun reaches its northernmost point. Longest day in the northern hemisphere, shortest in the southern.
21:56 First quarter
– Mercury turns retrograde Stationary in Gemini, then moves westward against the stars.
23:57 Full Moon 405,252 km from Earth.

July 2026

Date UTC Event Details
– Earth at aphelion Farthest from the Sun: 1.0166 AU (152.1 million km).
– Neptune turns retrograde Stationary in Pisces, then moves westward against the stars.
19:29 Last quarter
– Mercury at inferior conjunction Passes between Earth and the Sun, 0.573 AU from Earth. Not observable.
09:44 New Moon 360,152 km from Earth.
11:06 First quarter
– Mercury turns direct Stationary in Gemini, then resumes its eastward motion.
– Saturn turns retrograde Stationary in Pisces, then moves westward against the stars.
– Jupiter in conjunction with the Sun Behind the Sun as seen from Earth, not observable. 6.301 AU from Earth.
14:36 Full Moon 399,619 km from Earth.

August 2026

Date UTC Event Details
– Mercury at greatest elongation west 19.5° west of the Sun: best morning visibility.
02:21 Last quarter
17:37 New Moon 366,956 km from Earth.
– Venus at greatest elongation east 45.9° east of the Sun: best evening visibility.
02:46 First quarter
– Mercury at superior conjunction On the far side of the Sun, 1.362 AU from Earth. Not observable.
04:19 Full Moon 390,400 km from Earth.

September 2026

Date UTC Event Details
07:51 Last quarter
– Uranus turns retrograde Stationary in Taurus, then moves westward against the stars.
03:27 New Moon 376,651 km from Earth.
20:44 First quarter
00:05 September equinox Day and night of equal length. Autumn begins in the northern hemisphere, spring in the southern.
– Neptune at opposition Opposite the Sun, visible all night. 28.876 AU from Earth (4,319.7 million km).
16:49 Full Moon 379,436 km from Earth.

October 2026

Date UTC Event Details
– Venus turns retrograde Stationary in Libra, then moves westward against the stars.
13:25 Last quarter
– Saturn at opposition Opposite the Sun, visible all night. 8.434 AU from Earth (1,261.7 million km).
15:50 New Moon 387,641 km from Earth.
– Mercury at greatest elongation east 25.2° east of the Sun: best evening visibility.
16:13 First quarter
– Venus at inferior conjunction Passes between Earth and the Sun, 0.273 AU from Earth. Not observable.
– Mercury turns retrograde Stationary in Libra, then moves westward against the stars.
04:12 Full Moon 368,874 km from Earth.

November 2026

Date UTC Event Details
20:28 Last quarter
– Mercury at inferior conjunction Passes between Earth and the Sun, 0.674 AU from Earth. Not observable.
07:02 New Moon 397,771 km from Earth.
– Mercury turns direct Stationary in Virgo, then resumes its eastward motion.
– Venus turns direct Stationary in Virgo, then resumes its eastward motion.
11:48 First quarter
– Mercury at greatest elongation west 19.6° west of the Sun: best morning visibility.
14:54 Full Moon 360,769 km from Earth.
– Uranus at opposition Opposite the Sun, visible all night. 18.443 AU from Earth (2,759.1 million km).

December 2026

Date UTC Event Details
06:09 Last quarter
00:52 New Moon 404,686 km from Earth.
– Saturn turns direct Stationary in Pisces, then resumes its eastward motion.
– Neptune turns direct Stationary in Pisces, then resumes its eastward motion.
– Jupiter turns retrograde Stationary in Leo, then moves westward against the stars.
05:43 First quarter
20:50 December solstice The Sun reaches its southernmost point. Shortest day in the northern hemisphere, longest in the southern.
01:28 Full Moon 356,740 km from Earth.
19:00 Last quarter

Full moons and new moons of 2026

Instant of each phase, when the Moon is exactly opposite the Sun (full) or in the same direction (new), with its distance from the centre of the Earth.

Full Moon UTC Distance New Moon UTC Distance
10:03 362,311 km from Earth. 19:52 395,423 km from Earth.
22:09 371,381 km from Earth. 12:01 384,500 km from Earth.
11:38 382,606 km from Earth. 01:24 373,328 km from Earth.
02:12 393,593 km from Earth. 11:52 364,196 km from Earth.
17:23 402,002 km from Earth. 20:01 358,595 km from Earth.
08:45 406,134 km from Earth. 02:54 357,220 km from Earth.
23:57 405,252 km from Earth. 09:44 360,152 km from Earth.
14:36 399,619 km from Earth. 17:37 366,956 km from Earth.
04:19 390,400 km from Earth. 03:27 376,651 km from Earth.
16:49 379,436 km from Earth. 15:50 387,641 km from Earth.
04:12 368,874 km from Earth. 07:02 397,771 km from Earth.
14:54 360,769 km from Earth. 00:52 404,686 km from Earth.
01:28 356,740 km from Earth.

How this calendar is computed

Nothing here is copied from an almanac. The positions of the planets come from the VSOP87 theory, the Moon from the lunar theory of Jean Meeus' Astronomical Algorithms, and each event is found by searching for the instant when a condition is met: the planet and the Sun at the same ecliptic longitude (conjunction) or 180° apart (opposition), the largest angle from the Sun (greatest elongation), or the day the motion in longitude reverses (start and end of a retrograde period).

Planetary events are given to the day. Moon phases, equinoxes and solstices are given to the minute and are good to about two minutes. Eclipses, occultations and meteor showers are not computed and are not listed.

Frequently asked questions

When are the equinoxes and solstices in 2026?

March equinox: March 20 at 14:46 UTC. June solstice: June 21 at 08:24 UTC. September equinox: September 23 at 00:05 UTC. December solstice: December 21 at 20:50 UTC.

Which planets reach opposition in 2026?

Jupiter on January 10, Neptune on September 26, Saturn on October 4 and Uranus on November 25. At opposition a planet is opposite the Sun in the sky: it rises at sunset, is highest around midnight, and is at its closest and brightest for the year.

How many full moons are there in 2026?

There are 13 full moons in 2026: January 3, February 1, March 3, April 2, May 1, May 31, June 29, July 29, August 28, September 26, October 26, November 24, December 24 (dates in Universal Time).

When is Mercury retrograde in 2026?

Mercury is retrograde from February 26 to March 20, from June 29 to July 23 and from October 24 to November 13. The page on Mercury retrograde gives the details of each period.

Computed with Laurent Remond's implementation of Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms (2nd ed., Willmann-Bell, 1998).