Parade of planets, meteor showers, total solar and lunar eclipses – fascinating celestial displays mark 2026

 A series of remarkable astronomical phenomena will be witnessed in 2026 and easily accessible through the International Astronomy Centre’s free application, Astronomy Events, serving as a daily guide to the most important astronomical events to be anticipated. 

The astronomical events to take place in 2026 include an annular solar eclipse on February 17, visible from Antarctica, a total lunar eclipse on March 3, visible from the Pacific Ocean, said Eng. Mohammed Shawkat Odeh, Director of the International Astronomy Center. 

They also include a total solar eclipse on August 12, visible from Europe and potentially visible as a partial eclipse from the western part of the Arab world and a partial lunar eclipse on August 28, visible from most parts of the Arab world, he added. 

Talking about the most prominent meteor showers of 2026, Odeh said the beginning of 2026 would witness a distinctive astronomical start with the Quadrantids meteor shower on Saturday, January 3. 

This is one of the strongest annual meteor showers in terms of number and brightness of meteors, with more than 100 meteors per hour at the peak of its activity, he added. This meteor shower is also famous for the appearance of bright fireballs though the observation conditions this year would be less ideal due to the peak coinciding with the full moon, he said. 

On April 22, the Lyrid meteor shower, the oldest historically recorded meteor shower, will be visible, which is characterized by its bright dust trails that can remain visible for several seconds, he added, noting that observation conditions are relatively favorable in 2026. 

On February 18, the thin crescent moon will be near Mercury in the west after sunset, forming a beautiful view that may require binoculars to see better, while on April 19, the crescent moon, Venus, and the Pleiades star cluster will be close together in the west after sunset, he said. 

On October 6, Jupiter will be very close to the crescent moon in a rare view in the east before sunrise, he added. 

6 planets in the night sky in February 

In late February, six planets will appear in the night sky in a spectacle popularly known as the Parade of Planets, where the planets will appear almost aligned in a single line across the sky. 

The reason for the varying positions of the planets throughout the year is due to their orbits around the sun at different speeds. Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune will be visible astronomically, but spotting them all is a challenge. 

On June 8, a unique astronomical phenomenon will occur, namely the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, where they will appear side by side in the evening sky in a breathtaking scene, he said. 

“With the advent of summer, attention turns to the Perseid meteor shower between mid-July and late August. It is one of the most famous, beautiful, and eagerly awaited meteor showers by astronomy enthusiasts. This shower reaches its peak on August 12 and 13, with high rates that may reach about 150 meteors per hour, and may possibly witness the appearance of remarkable fireballs,” he added. 

In the second half of the year, the celestial displays continue with the Orionid meteor shower in October and November, which is associated with Halley’s Comet and characterized by its fast meteors and continuous light tails, he said. 

The year concludes with the Geminid meteor shower in December, which is one of the best and most prolific meteor showers ever, with an average of about 120 meteors per hour at its peak.