Note: The dates and times provided below are for Phoenix, Arizona. You may need to make appropriate time adjustments based on where you live.
Events Intro
The tables below is a list of astronomical events for this year. The following columns listed are:
- Date – The Date and day of the event.
- Event – The title of the event.
- Images – If an icon or icons are present in this column selecting the icon will open a new tab in your browser with detail images of the event.
- Equipment – List of equipment that would be appropriate for observing the event. This equipment includes:
- Visual – Naked eye observing of the event.
- Binoculars – A good pair of binoculars.
- Telescope – This event requires higher magnification to view and so would require a telescope.
- References – When selecting a number in the References column a new tab will be open in your browser where you can find more information on the event.
- Comments – Additional information on the event.
2026 Astronomical Events (PDF) – Astronomical Events for the year in a printable PDF document.
11 – November 2026
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026.11.01 (Sun) | End Daylight Savings (-1hr) | N/A | Set Clocks backwards one hour. (Not Arizona) | |
| 2026.11.09 (Mon) | New Moon | N/A | ||
| 2026.11.16 (Mon) | Lunar X & V | Binoculars Telescope | Best time to view between 12:00 – 15:00 | |
| 2026.11.17 (Tue) | Leonids Meteor Shower (10) | Visual | | Hourly Rate: 10* MPH | Active Period: 11/14 – 11/21 | The moon is 38% illuminated and will set at 10:42pm on the 16th, so should not be a factor for early morning observations of this shower. Tracing meteor trails should appear to originate from the Leo constellation. | |
| 2026.11.20 (Fri) | Mercury Greatest Elongation (AM) | Visual Binoculars | Since Mercury is so close to the sun it is generally difficult to spot in the sky. However, on this morning, it will appear 18° above the eastern horizon just before sunrise. | |
| 2026.11.24 (Tue) | Full Moon | Visual | ||
| 2026.11.25 (Wed) | Uranus at Opposition | Telescope | This month is a good time to locate Uranus in your telescope. |
12 – December 2026
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026.12.08 (Tue) | New Moon | N/A | ||
| 2026.12.08 (Tue) | Jupiter Double Moon Transit | 1 | Telescope | Time: 00:50 am – 01:27 am | Alt: 27° – 34° | Europa and Io Double shadow transit from 00:50 to 01:27. Jupiter quite low in the sky for this event. |
| 2026.12.14 (Mon) | Geminids Meteor Shower (120) | Visual | | Hourly Rate: 120 MPH | Active Period: 12/07 – 12/17 | Usually one of the best showers of the year. The moon is 22% illuminated and sets at 9:32pm on the 13th, so should not be a factor for early morning observations. Tracing meteor trails should appear to originate from the Gemini constellation. | |
| 2026.12.15 (Tue) | Jupiter Double Moon Transit | 1 | Telescope | Time: 02:40 am – 04:40 am | Alt: 55° – 67° | Europa and Io Double shadow transit from 02:40 to 04:40. Jupiter is well placed for this event. |
| 2026.12.16 (Wed) | Lunar X & V | Binoculars Telescope | Best time to view between 02:00 – 05:00 | |
| 2026.12.21 (Mon) | December Solstice | N/A | Shortest day, longest night of the year | |
| 2026.12.22 (Tue) | Jupiter Double Moon Transit | 1 | Telescope | Time: 04:34 am – 06:41 am | Alt: 69° – 51° | Europa and Io Double shadow transit from 04:34 to 06:41. Jupiter is well placed for this event. |
| 2026.12.23 (Wed) | Full Moon | Visual | Cold Moon | Supermoon | |
| 2026.12.23 (Wed) | Jupiter Double Moon Transit | 1 | Telescope | Time: 23:03 am – 01:08 am | Alt: 18° – 44° | Ganymede and Io Double shadow transit from 23:03 to 01:08. Jupiter starts low on the horizon but becomes better positioned as time passes for this event. |
| 2026.12.31 (Thu) | Jupiter Double Moon Transit | 1 | Telescope | Time: 01:27 am – 03:15 am | Alt: 53° – 69° | Ganymede and Io Double shadow transit from 01:27 to 03:15. Jupiter is well positioned for this event. |
01 – January 2027
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027.01.01 (Fri) | Jupiter Double Moon Transit | Telescope | Time: 8:20 pm – 10:21 pm | Alt: 0° – 17° | Europa and Io double shadow transit from 8:20 pm to 10:21 pm. Jupiter rises during this event and is only about 10° up by 9:49 pm; best seen in the last part of the transit with a clear eastern horizon. | |
| 2027.01.03 (Sun) | Venus Greatest Elongation (AM) | Visual | Venus reaches its greatest separation from the Sun for 2027 (47.0°). About 30 minutes before sunrise it will be 31° above the southeast horizon, shining at magnitude -4.6. | |
| 2027.01.03 (Sun) | Quadrantids Meteor Shower (80) | Visual | | Hourly Rate: 80 MPH | Active Period: 12/28 – 01/12 | Peak is at 11:37 am on the 3rd (daylight in Arizona), so the best viewing is the pre-dawn hours of the 3rd. The thin crescent Moon (14%) doesn’t rise until 4:10 am, so it should only be a minor factor. The Quadrantids have a short, sharp peak, so rates fall off quickly after the maximum. Tracing meteor trails should appear to originate from the Bootes constellation. | |
| 2027.01.07 (Thu) | New Moon | Visual | ||
| 2027.01.08 (Fri) | Jupiter Double Moon Shadow Transit | Telescope | Time: 10:56 pm – 12:14 am | Alt: 30° – 46° | Europa and Io double shadow transit from 10:56 pm to 12:14 am. Jupiter is well placed for this event. | |
| 2027.01.16 (Sat) | Jupiter Double Moon Shadow Transit | Telescope | Time: 1:33 am – 2:07 am | Alt: 66° – 70° | Europa and Io double shadow transit from 1:33 am to 2:07 am. Jupiter is well placed for this event. | |
| 2027.01.22 (Fri) | Full Moon | Visual | Wolf Moon | Supermoon |
02 – February 2027
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027.02.02 (Tue) | Mercury Greatest Elongation (PM) | Visual | Since Mercury is so close to the sun it is generally difficult to spot in the sky. At greatest elongation it is 18.3° from the Sun; about 30 minutes after sunset it will be roughly 11° above the west-southwest horizon – a good apparition for Arizona. | |
| 2027.02.06 (Sat) | New Moon | Visual | ||
| 2027.02.10 (Wed) | Jupiter at Opposition | Visual Telescope | Jupiter is well placed for observation all night, shining at magnitude -2.6. A great month for viewing the Great Red Spot and Galilean moon events. | |
| 2027.02.19 (Fri) | Mars at Opposition | Visual Telescope | Mars is at its best for 2027, shining at magnitude -1.2 in Leo. This is a distant (aphelic) opposition, so the disk is only about 14″ across – still a good chance to spot the polar cap and dark surface markings. | |
| 2027.02.20 (Sat) | Visual | Snow Moon |
03 – March 2027
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027.03.04 (Thu) | Jupiter Double Moon Shadow Transit | Telescope | Time: 6:39 pm – 8:56 pm | Alt: 28° – 56° | Callisto and Io double shadow transit from 6:39 pm to 8:56 pm. The event begins in evening twilight with Jupiter well up in the east; it improves as the sky darkens. | |
| 2027.03.08 (Mon) | New Moon | Visual | ||
| 2027.03.14 (Sun) | Begin Daylight Savings | Visual | Set Clocks forward one hour (Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time). | |
| 2027.03.16 (Tue) | Mercury Greatest Elongation (AM) | Visual | Since Mercury is so close to the sun it is generally difficult to spot in the sky. At greatest elongation it is 27.6° from the Sun; about 30 minutes before sunrise it will be roughly 8° above the east-southeast horizon – a fair apparition for Arizona. | |
| 2027.03.20 (Sat) | March Equinox | Visual | Night and day of equal length. Occurs at 1:24 pm. | |
| 2027.03.22 (Thu) | Full Moon | Visual | Worm Moon |
04 – April 2027
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027.04.06 (Tue) | New Moon | Visual | ||
| 2027.04.06 (Tue) | Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower (50) | Visual | | Hourly Rate: 50 MPH | Active Period: 04/19 – 05/28 | Excellent year for this shower – the peak falls on the night of the new Moon, so skies will be fully dark. Best viewing is the 2 hours before dawn on the 6th, when the radiant has risen in the east. Tracing meteor trails should appear to originate from the Aquarius constellation. | |
| 2027.04.07 (Fri) | Venus–Saturn Conjunction | Visual Binoculars Telescope | Venus and Saturn pass 0.6° apart (a little more than the width of the full Moon) in the morning sky. About 30 minutes before sunrise the pair will be only 7° above the east horizon, so you will need a clear eastern horizon; binoculars will help pick out Saturn in the twilight. | |
| 2027.04.20 (Thu) | Full Moon | Visual | Pink Moon | |
| 2027.04.28 (Fri) | Mercury Greatest Elongation (PM) | Visual | Since Mercury is so close to the sun it is generally difficult to spot in the sky. At greatest elongation it is 22.9° from the Sun; about 30 minutes after sunset it will be roughly 14° above the west-northwest horizon – a good apparition for Arizona. |
05 – May 2027
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026.05.06 (Thu) | New Moon | Visual | ||
| 2026.05.06 (Thu) | Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower (50) | Visual | | Hourly Rate: 50 MPH | Active Period: 04/19 – 05/28 | Excellent year for this shower – the peak falls on the night of the new Moon, so skies will be fully dark. Best viewing is the 2 hours before dawn on the 6th, when the radiant has risen in the east. Tracing meteor trails should appear to originate from the Aquarius constellation. | |
| 2026.05.07 (Fri) | Venus–Saturn Conjunction | Visual Binocular Telescope | Venus and Saturn pass 0.6° apart (a little more than the width of the full Moon) in the morning sky. About 30 minutes before sunrise the pair will be only 7° above the east horizon, so you will need a clear eastern horizon; binoculars will help pick out Saturn in the twilight. | |
| 2026.05.20 (Thu) | Full Moon | Visual | Flower Moon (Seasonal Blue Moon) Spring 2027 has four full Moons; this third one is a seasonal Blue Moon. No month in 2027 has two full Moons. | |
| 2026.05.28 (Fri) | Mercury Greatest Elongation (PM) | Visual | Since Mercury is so close to the sun it is generally difficult to spot in the sky. At greatest elongation it is 22.9° from the Sun; about 30 minutes after sunset it will be roughly 14° above the west-northwest horizon – a good apparition for Arizona. |
06 – June 2027
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027.06.04 (Fri) | New Moon | Visual | ||
| 2027.06.18 (Fri) | Full Moon | Visual | Strawberry Moon | |
| 2027.06.21 (Mon) | June Solstice | Visual | Longest day, shortest night of the year. Occurs at 7:10 am. |
07 – July 2027
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027.07.03 (Sat) | New Moon | Visual | Closest new Moon of the year (super new Moon) – expect extra-high tides. Good dark-sky weekend. | |
| 2027.07.15 (Thu) | Mercury Greatest Elongation (AM) | Visual | Since Mercury is so close to the sun it is generally difficult to spot in the sky. At greatest elongation it is 20.7° from the Sun; about 30 minutes before sunrise it will be roughly 10° above the east-northeast horizon – a fair apparition for Arizona. | |
| 2027.07.18 (Sun) | Full Moon | Visual | Buck Moon Micromoon: the farthest and smallest full Moon of 2027 (405,968 km). |
08 – August 2027
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027.08.02 (Mon) | New Moon | Visual | ||
| 2027.08.13 (Fri) | Perseids Meteor Shower (100) | Visual | | Hourly Rate: 100 MPH | Active Period: 07/17 – 08/24 | Peak is at 3:34 pm on the 12th, so the best viewing is the morning of the 13th. The Moon is 84% illuminated but sets at 2:20 am on the 13th, leaving about 2 hours of dark sky before dawn. Tracing meteor trails should appear to originate from the Perseus constellation. | |
| 2027.08.16 (Mon) | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | Visual | The only eclipse of 2027 visible from Arizona. The Moon passes only through Earth’s faint outer shadow, so look for a subtle gray shading on the Moon’s northern edge near maximum – a good before-and-after photo target. Eclipse Start: 10:23 pm | Alt=35° | Eclipse Max: 12:13 am (Aug 17) | Alt=43° | Eclipse End: 2:03 am (Aug 17) | Alt=39° | | |
| 2027.08.17 (Tue) | Full Moon | Visual | Sturgeon Moon (Penumbral Lunar Eclipse) | |
| 2027.08.31 (Tue) | Full Moon | Visual | Second new Moon in August (Black Moon). Also a super new Moon. |
09 – September 2027
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027.09.15 (Wed) | Full Moon | Visual | Harvest Moon Full Moon closest to the September equinox, so it takes the Harvest Moon name this year. | |
| 2027.09.22 (Wed) | Sept Equinox | Visual | Night and day of equal length. Occurs at 11:01 pm. | |
| 2027.09.24 (Fri) | Mercury Greatest Elongation (PM) | Visual | Since Mercury is so close to the sun it is generally difficult to spot in the sky. At greatest elongation it is 26.3° from the Sun; about 30 minutes after sunset it will be roughly 5° above the west-southwest horizon – a poor apparition for Arizona. | |
| 2027.09.28 (Tue) | Neptune at Opposition | Telescope | This month is the best time to try to locate Neptune in your telescope (magnitude 7.8). | |
| 2027.09.29 (Wed) | New Moon | Visual |
10 – October 2027
| Date | Event | Images | Equipment | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027.10.8 (Fri) | Draconids Meteor Shower (10*) | | Hourly Rate: 10* MPH | Active Period: 10/06 – 10/10 | Draconids meteor shower typically has a low number of meteors, but can sometimes have fantastic storms/outbursts for brief periods with thousands of meteors/hour. Unlike most showers it is best in the early evening. This year the Moon is 63% illuminated and does not set until 12:56 am on the 9th, so moonlight will interfere. Tracing meteor trails should appear to originate from the Draco constellation. | ||
| 2027.10.15 (Fri) | Full Moon | Hunter’s Moon | ||
| 2027.10.17 (Sun) | Saturn at Opposition | Saturn is well positioned for observations all night, shining at magnitude -0.1. | ||
| 2027.10.21 (Thu) | Orionids Meteor Shower (20) | | Hourly Rate: 20 MPH | Active Period: 10/02 – 11/07 | The Moon is 62% illuminated and rises at 9:51 pm on the 20th, so it will be up during the best pre-dawn hours of the 21st – expect only the brighter meteors. Tracing meteor trails should appear to originate from the Orion constellation. |