Planets
Saturn at Opposition
Oct 4, 12:12 UTC
Saturn sits opposite the Sun, rising at sunset and visible all night at its closest and brightest of 2026. A small telescope shows the rings.
- Visible from: Global (visible all night)
- Best with: Telescope
October 2026 · Verified space events
October2026 Space Events Calendar
11 verified events for October 2026: launches, meteor showers, planets and Moon phases. Every entry names its source, shows times in UTC and in your own time zone, and can be added to your calendar. Where an agency has not announced a launch day, the entry says "Date TBD" instead of guessing.
- 5 Launches & missions
- 2 Meteor showers
- 2 Moon
- 2 Planets
- UTC · Verified · NASA / AMS
Events
11
4 categories · full month
Best viewing
Oct 10 New Moon darkest window
No eclipses
October 2026 is eclipse-free
Key dates in October 2026
| Date | Event | Best with |
|---|---|---|
| October 4, 2026 | Saturn at Opposition | Telescope |
| Night of October 8–9, 2026 | Draconids Meteor Shower Peak | Naked eye |
| NET October 8, 2026 | Falcon 9 — SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer A | Launch stream |
| October 10, 2026 | New Moon | Naked eye or binoculars |
| NET October 10, 2026 | Falcon 9 — Starlink 15-25 | Launch stream |
| October 12, 2026 | Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation (25°) | Binoculars |
| NET October 13, 2026 | Falcon 9 — CRS-35 Dragon Cargo to the ISS | Launch stream |
| NET October 19/20, 2026 | H3 — Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) | Launch stream |
| Night of October 21–22, 2026 | Orionids Meteor Shower Peak | Naked eye |
| October 26, 2026 | Full Moon (Hunter's Moon) | Naked eye or binoculars |
| October (date TBD), 2026 | Ariane 62 — MetOp-SG B1 Launch | Launch stream |
October 2026 at a glance
- Meteor shower peaks
- Draconids Meteor Shower (Night of October 8–9, 2026 (peak ~09:00 UTC Oct 9)); Orionids Meteor Shower (Night of October 21–22, 2026 (peak ~00:00 UTC Oct 22))
- Primary launch / mission
- Falcon 9 — SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer A — NET October 8, 2026 (~07:54 UTC)
- Key Moon phases
- New Moon October 10 at 15:50 UTC; Full Moon October 26 at 04:12 UTC
- Planetary highlight
- Saturn at Opposition — October 4, 2026 (opposition ~12:12 UTC); Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation (25°) — October 12, 2026 (~10:06 UTC)
- Launch or mission
Falcon 9 — SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer A
Oct 8, 07:54 UTC
A Falcon 9 launches a Tranche 1 Transport Layer batch for the U.S. Space Development Agency. Spaceflight Now lists earlier attempts as aborted on October 5 and delayed from October 6, so the date is no earlier than.
- Visible from: Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA
- Best with: Launch stream
- Meteor shower
Draconids Meteor Shower Peak
Produced by debris from comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, the Draconids are unusual among showers for peaking in the evening rather than after midnight. Rates are typically modest (around 5 per hour) but occasionally surge unpredictably. The New Moon on October 10 keeps skies dark.
- Visible from: Best from Northern Hemisphere, especially early evening
- Best with: Naked eye
- Moon
New Moon
Oct 10, 15:50 UTC
The Moon is between Earth and the Sun and invisible, giving the darkest skies of the month for deep-sky observing and astrophotography.
- Visible from: Global
- Best with: Naked eye or binoculars
- Launch or mission
Falcon 9 — Starlink 15-25
Oct 10, 23:00 UTC
A Falcon 9 carries a batch of Starlink broadband satellites to low Earth orbit. Spaceflight Now lists it as delayed from September 30.
- Visible from: Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA
- Best with: Launch stream
- Planets
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation (25°)
Oct 12, 10:06 UTC
Mercury reaches its widest evening separation from the Sun, about 25 degrees, the best evening window of this apparition. Look low in the west shortly after sunset.
- Visible from: Global, low in the western sky after sunset
- Best with: Binoculars
- Launch or mission
Falcon 9 — CRS-35 Dragon Cargo to the ISS
Oct 13, 10:33 UTC
A Dragon cargo spacecraft carries supplies and science, including the final pair of ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays, to the International Space Station. NASA targets launch at 6:33 a.m. EDT and docking at the space-facing port of the Harmony module about two days later.
- Visible from: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA
- Best with: Launch stream
- Launch or mission
H3 — Martian Moons eXploration (MMX)
Oct 19, 19:41 UTC
JAXA's MMX probe heads for Mars to study its moons Phobos and Deimos and return a sample from Phobos to Earth.
- Visible from: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
- Best with: Launch stream
- Meteor shower
Orionids Meteor Shower Peak
Debris from Halley's Comet produces this reliable annual shower, typically yielding around 15–20 meteors per hour at its peak under dark skies. A bright waxing Moon is up in the evening, so the best window is after moonset and before dawn.
- Visible from: Global
- Best with: Naked eye
- Moon
Full Moon (Hunter's Moon)
Oct 26, 04:12 UTC
The full Moon following the Harvest Moon (September 26) is traditionally called the Hunter's Moon. In the Americas it is full late on the evening of October 25.
- Visible from: Global
- Best with: Naked eye or binoculars
- Launch or missionOctober (date TBD), 2026
Ariane 62 — MetOp-SG B1 Launch
The first B-type satellite of EUMETSAT's second-generation polar-orbiting weather programme (Metop-SG) launches on an Ariane 6 from Kourou. ESA's February 2026 update scheduled the launch for October 2026; no exact date has been published.
- Visible from: Kourou, French Guiana (ELA-4)
- Best with: Launch stream
Date TBD, no calendar file until confirmedOfficial Agency Source: EUMETSAT / Arianespace ↗
October 2026 space events: common questions
What are the major space and sky events in October 2026?
October 2026 has 11 listed space events. Launches and missions: Falcon 9 — SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer A, Falcon 9 — Starlink 15-25, Falcon 9 — CRS-35 Dragon Cargo to the ISS, and H3 — Martian Moons eXploration (MMX). Meteor shower peaks: Draconids Meteor Shower Peak and Orionids Meteor Shower Peak. Planets and eclipses: Saturn at Opposition and Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation (25°). Moon phases: New Moon October 10 at 15:50 UTC and Full Moon October 26 at 04:12 UTC. Launch dates marked NET are no earlier than and can change.
When is the next full moon in October 2026?
The full Moon in October 2026 is on October 26 at 04:12 UTC. A full Moon is above the horizon all night and brightens the sky, so faint meteors, the Milky Way and deep-sky objects are harder to see for a few nights around it; the New Moon is the darkest time.
Are there any solar or lunar eclipses in October 2026?
No solar or lunar eclipses occur in October 2026.
How can I add these space events to my personal calendar?
You can download the free .ics calendar file for October 2026 directly from this page to sync with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, or Outlook. Events whose date is still to be announced are left out until they are confirmed.
55 Major Celestial Events of 2026
Every full moon, eclipse, meteor-shower peak, planetary opposition and elongation, close Moon–planet pairing, equinox, solstice and orbital extreme of 2026. Dates and times are calculated with an astronomical ephemeris and checked by automated tests, not copied from a list. Times are UTC; an event near midnight can fall on the previous or next day where you are.
January – February(events 1–8)
- 1. Jan 3, 10:03 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Wolf Moon (Supermoon)
First full moon of 2026, about 362,300 km away, near perigee and so a supermoon. It rises as the Quadrantids peak.
- 2. Jan 3Meteor Showers📍 Best from the Northern Hemisphere
Quadrantids Meteor Shower
Peak night of the Quadrantids (radiant in Boötes, parent body Asteroid 2003 EH1), up to about 120 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Active 2025-12-26 to 2026-01-16.
- 3. Jan 3Equinoxes, Solstices & Apsides📍 Worldwide
Earth at Perihelion
Earth is closest to the Sun, about 0.983 AU (147.1 million km).
- 4. Jan 10, 08:29 UTCPlanets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Jupiter at Opposition
Jupiter is opposite the Sun, at its brightest and closest to Earth for the year, up all night.
- 5. Feb 1, 22:09 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Snow Moon
The full moon of early February, traditionally the Snow Moon.
- 6. Feb 17, 12:11 UTCEclipses📍 Antarctica (annular); partial from southern Africa and South America
Annular Solar Eclipse
A ring-of-fire annular eclipse whose path crosses Antarctica. Only a partial eclipse is seen from the southern tip of Africa and South America.
- 7. Feb 19, 17:41 UTCPlanets & Conjunctions📍 Best from the Southern Hemisphere
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
Mercury is 18 degrees east of the Sun in the evening sky, a modest apparition because it stays low in the west after sunset.
- 8. Feb 28Planets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Six-Planet Alignment
Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Neptune sit low in the west after sunset while Jupiter and Uranus are high in the east. Only Venus, Mercury and Jupiter are easy to see; Saturn is hard, and Neptune and Uranus need optics.
March – April(events 9–14)
- 9. Mar 3, 11:33 UTCEclipses📍 Asia, Australia, Pacific, North America
Total Lunar Eclipse
The Moon moves fully into Earth's shadow and turns deep red. Visible across eastern Asia, Australia, the Pacific and western North America.
- 10. Mar 3, 11:38 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Worm Moon
The last full moon of northern winter. It falls on the same day as the total lunar eclipse.
- 11. Mar 20, 14:45 UTCEquinoxes, Solstices & Apsides📍 Worldwide
March Equinox
Day and night are nearly equal. Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern.
- 12. Apr 2, 02:12 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Pink Moon
The first full moon of northern spring.
- 13. Apr 3, 22:34 UTCPlanets & Conjunctions📍 Best from the Northern Hemisphere
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
Mercury reaches 28 degrees west of the Sun, its best morning view of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
- 14. Apr 22Meteor Showers📍 Best from the Northern Hemisphere
Lyrids Meteor Shower
Peak night of the Lyrids (radiant in Lyra, parent body Comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher)), up to about 18 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Active 2026-04-15 to 2026-04-29.
May – June(events 15–21)
- 15. May 1, 17:23 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Flower Moon
The first of two full moons in May 2026.
- 16. May 5Meteor Showers📍 Best from the Southern Hemisphere
Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower
Peak night of the Eta Aquariids (radiant in Aquarius, parent body Comet 1P/Halley), up to about 50 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Active 2026-04-19 to 2026-05-28.
- 17. May 31, 08:45 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Blue Moon (second full moon of May)
The second full moon in one calendar month, which is the common meaning of a Blue Moon. The Moon is near its farthest point (about 406,100 km), so it looks slightly smaller.
- 18. Jun 15, 20:02 UTCPlanets & Conjunctions📍 Best from the Northern Hemisphere
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
Mercury is 24.5 degrees east of the Sun in the evening twilight.
- 19. Jun 17Planets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Moon Meets Venus
A thin crescent Moon passes within 0.3 degrees of Venus in the evening sky.
- 20. Jun 21, 08:25 UTCEquinoxes, Solstices & Apsides📍 Worldwide
June Solstice
The longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of summer there; winter begins in the south.
- 21. Jun 29, 23:57 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Strawberry Moon
The June full moon. It occurs just before midnight UTC, so on the evening of June 29 in the Americas and June 30 in Asia and Australia.
July – August(events 22–30)
- 22. Jul 6Equinoxes, Solstices & Apsides📍 Worldwide
Earth at Aphelion
Earth is farthest from the Sun, about 1.017 AU (152.1 million km).
- 23. Jul 29, 14:36 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Buck Moon
The July full moon. It washes out the Southern Delta Aquariids at their peak.
- 24. Jul 30Meteor Showers📍 Best from the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower
Peak night of the Southern Delta Aquariids (radiant in Aquarius, parent body Comet 96P/Machholz), up to about 25 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Active 2026-07-18 to 2026-08-21.
- 25. Aug 2, 08:02 UTCPlanets & Conjunctions📍 Best from the Southern Hemisphere
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
Mercury is 19.5 degrees west of the Sun in the morning sky.
- 26. Aug 12Meteor Showers📍 Best from the Northern Hemisphere
Perseids Meteor Shower
Peak night of the Perseids (radiant in Perseus, parent body Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle), up to about 100 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Active 2026-07-14 to 2026-09-01.
- 27. Aug 12, 17:45 UTCEclipses📍 Greenland, Iceland, Spain (total); Europe (partial)
Total Solar Eclipse
Totality crosses Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain; a partial eclipse is visible across much of Europe and the North Atlantic. It is the first total solar eclipse on mainland Europe since 1999.
- 28. Aug 15, 06:23 UTCPlanets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation
Venus shines as the Evening Star, 46 degrees east of the Sun, at its widest separation for this apparition.
- 29. Aug 28, 04:12 UTCEclipses📍 Americas, Europe, Africa
Partial Lunar Eclipse
Earth's shadow covers part of the Moon. Visible from the Americas, Europe and Africa.
- 30. Aug 28, 04:19 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Sturgeon Moon (partial lunar eclipse)
The August full moon, which passes through Earth's shadow in a partial lunar eclipse.
September – October(events 31–42)
- 31. Sep 8Planets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Moon Meets Jupiter (September)
A waning crescent Moon passes within 0.8 degrees of Jupiter in the pre-dawn sky.
- 32. Sep 14Planets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Moon Meets Venus (September)
A young crescent Moon passes within 0.5 degrees of Venus in the evening sky.
- 33. Sep 23, 00:05 UTCEquinoxes, Solstices & Apsides📍 Worldwide
September Equinox
Day and night are nearly equal. Autumn begins in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern. It is still September 22 in the Americas.
- 34. Sep 26, 01:26 UTCPlanets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Neptune at Opposition
Neptune is opposite the Sun and at its best for telescopes. It is too faint to see without optics.
- 35. Sep 26, 16:49 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Harvest Moon
The full moon closest to the September equinox, so the Harvest Moon in 2026.
- 36. Oct 4, 12:12 UTCPlanets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Saturn at Opposition
Saturn is opposite the Sun and at its brightest for the year. The rings are tilted only slightly toward Earth in 2026.
- 37. Oct 5Planets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Moon Meets Mars (October)
The waning Moon passes within 1.1 degrees of Mars in the morning sky.
- 38. Oct 6Planets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Moon Meets Jupiter (October)
The waning Moon passes within 0.3 degrees of Jupiter in the morning sky, close enough that the Moon covers Jupiter from some places.
- 39. Oct 9Meteor Showers📍 Best from the Northern Hemisphere
Draconids Meteor Shower
Peak night of the Draconids (radiant in Draco, parent body Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner), up to about 10 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Active 2026-10-06 to 2026-10-10.
- 40. Oct 12, 10:06 UTCPlanets & Conjunctions📍 Best from the Southern Hemisphere
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
Mercury is 25 degrees east of the Sun in the evening twilight.
- 41. Oct 21Meteor Showers📍 Worldwide
Orionids Meteor Shower
Peak night of the Orionids (radiant in Orion, parent body Comet 1P/Halley), up to about 20 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Active 2026-10-02 to 2026-11-07.
- 42. Oct 26, 04:12 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Hunter's Moon
The first full moon after the Harvest Moon.
November – December(events 43–55)
- 43. Nov 2Planets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Moon Meets Mars (November)
The waning Moon passes within 1 degree of Mars in the morning sky.
- 44. Nov 2Planets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Moon Meets Jupiter (November)
The Moon passes within 0.5 degrees of Jupiter on the same night it passes Mars.
- 45. Nov 5Meteor Showers📍 Best from the Northern Hemisphere
Taurids Meteor Shower
Peak night of the Taurids (radiant in Taurus, parent body Comet 2P/Encke), up to about 5 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Active 2026-09-23 to 2026-12-02.
- 46. Nov 16Planets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Mars–Jupiter Conjunction
Mars and Jupiter pass about 1.2 degrees apart in the morning sky.
- 47. Nov 17Meteor Showers📍 Worldwide
Leonids Meteor Shower
Peak night of the Leonids (radiant in Leo, parent body Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle), up to about 15 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Active 2026-11-03 to 2026-12-02.
- 48. Nov 20, 23:35 UTCPlanets & Conjunctions📍 Best from the Southern Hemisphere
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
Mercury is 19.6 degrees west of the Sun, the last morning view of 2026.
- 49. Nov 24, 14:54 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Beaver Moon (Supermoon)
A full moon about 360,800 km away, near perigee and so a supermoon.
- 50. Nov 25, 22:27 UTCPlanets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Uranus at Opposition
Uranus is opposite the Sun and at its best. It is faintly visible to the naked eye under very dark skies and easy in binoculars.
- 51. Nov 30Planets & Conjunctions📍 Worldwide
Moon Meets Jupiter (late November)
The gibbous Moon passes within 1 degree of Jupiter.
- 52. Dec 13Meteor Showers📍 Worldwide
Geminids Meteor Shower
Peak night of the Geminids (radiant in Gemini, parent body Asteroid 3200 Phaethon), up to about 150 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Active 2026-12-04 to 2026-12-17.
- 53. Dec 21Meteor Showers📍 Best from the Northern Hemisphere
Ursids Meteor Shower
Peak night of the Ursids (radiant in Ursa Minor, parent body Comet 8P/Tuttle), up to about 10 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Active 2026-12-17 to 2026-12-25.
- 54. Dec 21, 20:50 UTCEquinoxes, Solstices & Apsides📍 Worldwide
December Solstice
The shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of winter there; summer begins in the south.
- 55. Dec 24, 01:28 UTCFull Moons & Supermoons📍 Worldwide
Cold Moon (Supermoon)
The year's closest full moon, about 356,700 km away. It lights Christmas Eve in the Americas.