On October 4, 2026, Saturn is at its brightest and closest to Earth all year, visible all night from sunset to sunrise with the naked eye. A small telescope reveals the rings.

Between October 21 and 22, 2026, view fast meteors from Halley's Comet debris, peaking at 10-20 per hour. An 80% full moon will wash out fainter meteors this year.

A slow, minor shower known for producing dramatic fireballs rather than high volume. November 4 is peak with only 5-10 meteors per hour, but memorable ones.

A New Moon this year means ideal dark-sky conditions on November 11, 2026 for this fireball-prone shower, even though rates stay low.

Multiple planets align on November 14, 2026 in the pre-dawn sky, best appreciated from a location with a wide, unobstructed horizon.

The Leonids, on November 16, 2026, bring us the fastest meteors of any annual shower at 44 miles per second, producing bright, short streaks. Typically 10-15 per hour, best after midnight.

The Moon reaches its closest approach to Earth for the month at the same time it's full, so on November 24, 2026 it will appear slightly larger and brighter than an average full moon.

On December 13, 2026 witness the most reliable major shower of the year, producing up to 120 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. Unlike most showers, it's active as soon as it gets dark.

December 21, 2026. The shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. The astronomical start of winter and summer, respectively.

This minor shower on December 21, 2026, whose radiant sits too far north for good Southern Hemisphere viewing, has to contend with a near-full moon which will limit visibility to the brightest meteors this year.

One of the year's best showers by potential rate (up to 25/hour), but with an unusually short peak window of just a few hours.