• Blue Moon

    Moon Orbit

    22:46 HST on May 30 | 08:46 UTC on May 31.

  • Arietids Meteor Shower Predicted Peak

    Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

    Seen in the sunrise direction in the dark hour before dawn, with a predicted rate of 60 to 200 per hour, 2026 will have a thick waxing crescent Moon so watch from a place in the Moon shadow or with a distant object that blocks moonlight. Called the most-active daytime […]

  • Earth at Aphelion, 1.0167 AU from the Sun

    Global / Inter-Global

    Occurs 07:30 HST / 17:30 UTC; Earth aphelion is the point in its elliptical orbit where it is farthest from the Sun, occurring annually in early July; at aphelion , Earth is about 94.5 million miles from the Sun, or roughly 3% farther than its closest point, perihelion, in January.

  • Southern Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower Peak

    Worldwide

    Emanating from ~6km-wide comet with 5.3-year Solar orbit, visible in constellation Aquarius near star Delta Aquarii, fast, faint meteors peak on this night, best seen from the Southern Hemisphere; the bright Moon in 2026 may make the best viewing several days earlier.

  • Full Sturgeon Moon, Partial Eclipse of Moon

    Moon Orbit

    With 93% of the Moon falling into Earth's umbral shadow, maximum eclipse 18:19 HST // 04:12 UTC on August 28, visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia. 

  • September Equinox

    Worldwide

    14:02 HST (04:02 UTC); the Sun rises exactly in east traveling through sky for 12 hours, sets exactly in west; every place on Earth experiences a ~12-hour day.

  • Peak of Orionids Meteor Shower

    Worldwide

    Appearing in constellation Orion, Orionids are a Class I shower providing up to 20 per hour, swiftly moving ~66km/sec. With activity spanning October 2 - November 12, other nights might provide good viewing since Moon on the peak night is 80% full.

  • December Solstice

    Worldwide

    10:49 HST (00:49 UTC); the Sun reaches the point where it is farthest South of the celestial equator, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year (opposite in Southern Hemisphere).

  • Cold Moon

    Moon Orbit

    25:29 HST //  01:29 UTC on Dec 24.

  • 241st Galactic Tick Day

    Highlighting Galaxy awareness by celebrating the Solar System traveling around Milky Way Galaxy Center every ~225 million Earth years, one Galactic Tick happens every 633.7 days; first Tick Day was one Tick after October 2nd, 1608 when the first telescope patent was filed.

  • 242nd Galactic Tick Day

    ☆ Nov 24 — 242nd Galactic Tick Day, Milky Way Galaxy: Highlighting Galaxy awareness by celebrating the Solar System traveling around Milky Way Galaxy Center every ~225 million Earth years, one Galactic Tick happens every 633.7 days; first Tick Day was one Tick after October 2nd, 1608 when the first telescope patent […]

  • Asteroid 99942 Apophis to Fly by Earth

    Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)

    On this day, which happens to be a Friday, 370-meter diameter asteroid (previously known as 2004 MN4) will narrowly miss Earth by about 30,000 km, which is classified as Medium Earth Orbit (2,000 - 35,786 km).

  • Lucy Spacecraft 3rd Earth Flyby (660 km)

    Jupiter Trajectory

    NASA mission to encounter 11 asteroids, including a main belt and 7 Jupiter Trojans, to perform Earth flyby / gravity assist today coming within 660 km after reaching Jupiter orbit and returning to the vicinity of the Earth.    

  • NET July — JUICE Spacecraft to Insert into Jupiter Orbit

    Jupiter Orbit

    NET July — ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) expected to reach Jupiter this month if launched April 2023; will perform a flyby of Ganymede 7.5-hours before Jupiter insertion; will spend at least 3.5 years studying Jupiter atmosphere and magnetosphere, moons Ganymede, Europa, Callisto and Io with 10 state-of-the-art instruments […]

  • 243rd Galactic Tick Day

    Highlighting Galaxy awareness by celebrating the Solar System traveling around Milky Way Galaxy Center every ~225 million Earth years, one Galactic Tick happens every 633.7 days; first Tick Day was one Tick after October 2nd, 1608 when the first telescope patent was filed.

  • Transit of Mercury

    Global / Inter-Global

    Mercury to pass directly between Earth and Sun; observers see distant planet as small dot gliding slowly across face of Sun; starts Nov 12 at 20:41 HST, ends 01:07 Nov 13.