Moon gazing in 2026

2026 will be a year of 13 full moons. Our first will be January 3 and it will be another Supermoon. The Wolf Moon will rise at 5:13 p.m. on Saturday and will set at 8:40 a.m. on Sunday. This is the fourth Supermoon in a row, October 7, November 5, December 4, and January 3.

In the month of May we'll have two full Moons, one on May 1, the second will be on May 31 and it will be a Blue Moon. The reason for the 13 moons is because the lunar cycle is out of sync with our calendar. The lunar cycle (~29.5 days) doesn't perfectly fit 12 times into a solar year (~365 days). This happens every 2.5 years.

The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak on January 3. Unfortunately, due to the full Moon, you may not see many meteors. Activity is possible through January 12, look northeast after dusk. The Quadrantids can produce bright, colorful fireballs, which are larger and longer-lasting so get out to a dark spot if you can.

On January 8 the Comet 24P/Schaumasse will be visible if you have binoculars. Before sunrise, look south. Onlookers be aware, in 1952, it unexpectedly brightened dramatically, leading to speculation it might have disintegrated, but it was just being its unpredictable self. So even if you don’t have binoculars or a telescope keep an eye out the morning of the 8th.

The conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter will occur on January 30. They'll be visible just after sunset, above your eastern horizon. They will then reach their highest point in the sky at 10:30, look south. They will continue to be observable until around 5 a.m. in the west. With Earthshine visible on the Moon's dark side, Jupiter will be exceptionally bright, outshining all stars. If you have binoculars or a telescope you may be able to see some of Jupiter’s moons.

Photos of the Wolf Moon, the Moon and Jupiter, and a stary sky and approaching storm along the Atlantic coast.