Supermoons, eclipses and more: a 2026 guide to the best night sky events to look out for

The coming year is packed with cosmic events, from a ‘ring of fire’ eclipse to two six-planet line-ups to several supermoons

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A “ring of fire” solar eclipse seen from Tahai, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile, in 2024. In 2026, another will occur in February, but over the Antarctic. Photo: AP

Published: 4:15pm, 31 Dec 2025

The moon and sun share top billing in 2026.

Kicking off the year’s cosmic wonders is the moon, drawing the first astronauts to visit in more than 50 years, as well as a caravan of robotic lunar landers, including Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos’ new supersized Blue Moon. A supermoon looms on January 3, and an astronomical blue moon is on the books for May.

The sun will also generate buzz with a “ring of fire” eclipse at the bottom of the world in February and a total solar eclipse at the top of the world in August. Expect more auroras in unexpected places, though perhaps not as frequently as in the past couple of years.

And that comet that strayed into our turf from another star? While still visible with powerful backyard telescopes, the recently discovered comet known as 3I/ATLAS is fading by the day after swinging past Earth in December. Jupiter is next on its dance card in March. Once the icy outsider departs our solar system a decade from now, it will be back where it belongs in interstellar space.

It is our third known interstellar visitor. Scientists anticipate more.

An image of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it streaks through space on November 19, 2025. Photo: Gianluca Masi via AP

“I can’t believe it’s taken this long to find three,” says Nasa’s Paul Chodas, who has been on the lookout since the 1980s. And with ever better technology, “the chance of catching another interstellar visitor will increase”.

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Supermoons, eclipses and more: a 2026 guide to the best night sky events to look out for

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The coming year is packed with cosmic events, from a ‘ring of fire’ eclipse to two six-planet line-ups to several supermoons

The coming year is packed with cosmic events, from a ‘ring of fire’ eclipse to two six-planet line-ups to several supermoons