2026
Astronomical Calendar
This supplement to Moon Guy Next Door’s wall calendar dives deeper into the best astronomical events of the year and how to observe them.
January |
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Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
What: The full moon meets with Jupiter, the king of the planets, and the brightest stars in Gemini, Castor and Pollux
When: Saturday January 3, starting approx. 1.5 hours after sunset
Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50)
How: The full moon will rise toward the northeast around the time of sunset, but you’ll need to wait a few minutes to see Jupiter close to it, and the stars of Gemini will only become visible about an hour and a half after sunset. They will rise higher in the sky for a few hours and keep making their way west until they set in the northwest around the time of sunrise.
What: The waxing crescent moon meets Saturn, the ringed planet
When: Thursday January 22, approx. 1 hour after sunset to 4 hours after sunset
Equipment needed: Naked eye
How: Wait until darkness, at least an hour after sunset. Find the moon toward the southwest. Beside it, you’ll see what looks like a bright star, which is actually Saturn. They may not be close enough to see them both together with binoculars, but if you have binoculars, Neptune is in the same field of view as Saturn. They will get even closer together in February. Check below for more information about that encounter.
What: The waxing gibbous moon meets with the Pleiades star cluster
When: Tuesday January 27, starting approx. 1.5 hours after sunset
Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50 or Ultima 10x50)
How: The waxing gibbous moon will rise toward the northeast in around noon, but you’ll need to wait until darkness (at least 1.5 hours after sunset) to see the Pleiades star cluster near it. They will rise higher in the sky for a few hours and keep making their way west until they set in the northwest before sunrise. They will get further from each other as the night progresses. Although this can technically be seen with the naked eye, the gibbous moon is very bright and could make it challenging to see the Pleiades nearby without binoculars.
What: The waxing gibbous moon meets with Jupiter, the king of the planets
When: Friday January 30, starting approx. 1.5 hours after sunset
Equipment needed: Naked eye or binoculars (recommendations: Cometron 7x50)
How: The waxing gibbous moon will rise toward the northeast in mid-afternoon, but you’ll need to wait until darkness to see Jupiter close to it. They will rise higher in the sky for a few hours and keep making their way west until they set in the northwest before sunrise. In early evening, they'll be close enough to each other to see together in a pair of binoculars.
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!
February |
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Check back soon for more details. In the meantime, scroll to see what's coming this month!
Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!
March |
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Check back soon for more details. In the meantime, scroll to see what's coming this month!
Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!
April |
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Check back soon for more details. In the meantime, scroll to see what's coming this month!
Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!
May |
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Check back soon for more details. In the meantime, scroll to see what's coming this month!
Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!
June |
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Check back soon for more details. In the meantime, scroll to see what's coming this month!
Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!
July |
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Check back soon for more details. In the meantime, scroll to see what's coming this month!
Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!
August |
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Check back soon for more details. In the meantime, scroll to see what's coming this month!
Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!
September |
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Check back soon for more details. In the meantime, scroll to see what's coming this month!
Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!
October |
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Check back soon for more details. In the meantime, scroll to see what's coming this month!
Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!
November |
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Check back soon for more details. In the meantime, scroll to see what's coming this month!
Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!
December |
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Check back soon for more details. In the meantime, scroll to see what's coming this month!
Is it easy to see?
💙 = Easy
💛 = Medium
❤️️ = Challenging
Need some moon magic in your home? Check The Moon Guy Shop!