Welcome to bostonastronomy.net!
This website has been created by and is supported by John Sheff, a Boston, MA – area amateur astronomer and informal astronomy educator. You can contact me at Boston Astronomy. My intention in creating this site is to provide a convenient resource for access to news and information about astronomy and space-related activities of interest to the community and the public.
Contact: jsheff000@gmail.com
Upcoming Astronomy-Related Events in the Boston Area
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Tonight's Sky
Major Astronomy Events This Month
Major Astronomical Events | |||
| August 2026 | |||
| Aug. ? | Chang’e 7 launches to lunar south pole | ||
| Aug. 2 | Sun. | 9:55 AM EDT | Mercury @ greatest western elongation (18.6° W of Sun) |
| Aug. 3 | Mon. | 4:00 AM EDT | Moon 5° N of Neptune, 127° from Sun in morning sky |
| Aug. 4 | Tue. | 12:00 AM EDT | Moon 7° N of Saturn, 117° from Sun in morning sky |
| Aug. 5 | Wed. | 5:38 AM EDT | Mercury @ highest altitude in morning sky (15° above horizon) |
| Aug. 5 | Wed. | 10:21 PM EDT | Last Quarter Moon |
| Aug. 7 | Fri. | 9:00 PM EDT | Moon 5° N of Uranus, 70° from Sun in morning sky |
| Aug. 9 | Sun. | 2:00 AM EDT | Moon 4° N of Mars, 48° from Sun in morning sky |
| Aug. 10 | Mon. | 7:18 AM EDT | Moon @ perigee (363,284 km / 225,734 mi / 57.02 Earth radii) |
| Aug. 10 | Mon. | 6:00 PM EDT | Sun enters astronomical sign of Leo |
| Aug. 11 | Tue. | 9:00 AM EDT | Moon 2° N of Mercury, 16° from Sun in morning sky |
| Aug. 12 | Wed. | 1:14 PM EDT | Partial solar eclipse begins |
| Aug. 12 | Wed. | 1:37 PM EDT | New Moon |
| Aug. 12 | Wed. | 1:55 PM EDT | Maximum partial solar eclipse |
| Aug. 12 | Wed. | 2:46 PM EDT | Partial solar eclipse ends |
| Aug. 12 | Wed. | 10:10 PM EDT | Perseid meteors (excellent) |
| Aug. 14 | Fri. | 6:00 PM EDT | Venus @ greatest elongation east (45.9° E of Sun) |
| Aug. 15 | Sat. | 5:00 AM EDT | Mercury 0.6° N of Jupiter, 13° from Sun in morning sky |
| Aug. 16 | Sun. | 5:00 AM EDT | Moon 2° S of Venus, 46° from Sun in evening sky |
| Aug. 18 | Tue. | Solar Orbiter @ perihelion # 13 | |
| Aug. 19 | Wed. | 10:46 PM EDT | First Quarter Moon |
| Aug. 22 | Sat. | 4:21 AM EDT | Moon @ apogee (404,642 km / 251,433 mi / 63.51 Earth radii) |
| Aug. 27 | Thur. | 1:12 PM EDT | Mercury @ superior conjunction |
| Aug. 27 | Thu. | 9:24 PM EDT | Penumbral lunar eclipse begins |
| Aug. 27 | Thu. | 10:33 PM EDT | Umbral lunar eclipse begins |
| Aug. 28 | Fri. | 12:19 AM EDT | Full Moon (“Full Sturgeon Moon”) |
| Aug. 28 | Fri. | 12:42 AM EDT | Maximum lunar eclipse |
| Aug. 28 | Fri. | 1:52 AM EDT | Umbral lunar eclipse ends |
| Aug. 28 | Fri. | 3:02 AM EDT | Penumbral lunar eclipse ends |
| Aug. 30 | Sun. | 9:00 AM EDT | Moon 5° N of Neptune, 153° from Sun in morning sky |
| Aug. 31 | Mon. | 4:00 AM EDT | Moon 7° N of Saturn, 144° from Sun in morning sky |
Bold = cool or important | * = not visible from Boston | ||
An Overview of Major Astronomical and Space Events in 2026 | |||
| Jan. 3 | Fri. | 7:13:48 AM EST | Latest sunrise of the year (7:13:48 AM EST) |
| Jan. 3 | Sat. | 12:16 PM EST | Earth @ perihelion (0.9833 AU / 147,093,163 km / 91,399,454 mi) |
| Jan. 3 | Sat. | 5:36 PM EST | Quadrantid meteors peak (poor) |
| Jan. 6 | Tue. | 12:11 PM EST | Venus @ superior conjunction |
| Jan. 10 | Sat. | 3:35 AM EST | Jupiter @ opposition |
| Jan. 21 | Wed. | 11:02 AM EST | Mercury @ superior conjunction |
| Feb. 2 | Mon. | 8:53 PM EST – 9:58 PM EST | Moon occults Regulus |
| Feb. 19 | Thur. | 9:35 AM EST | Mercury @ greatest eastern elongation (18.1° E of Sun) |
| Feb. 20 | Fri. | 5:23 PM EST | Mercury @ highest altitude (16° above horizon) |
| Mar. 3 | Tue. | Solar Orbiter @ perihelion # 12 | |
| Mar. 3 | Tue. | 3:44 AM EST | Total lunar eclipse (Moon enters penumbra) |
| Mar. 3 | Tue. | 4:50 AM EST | Total lunar eclipse (Moon enters umbra) |
| Mar. 3 | Tue. | 6:04 AM EST | Total lunar eclipse begins |
| Mar. 3 | Tue. | 6:18 AM EST | Moonset in Boston |
| Mar. 7 | Sat. | 5:58 AM EST | Mercury @ inferior conjunction |
| Mar. 8 | Sun. | 2:00 AM EST / 3:00 AM EDT | Daylight Saving Time begins |
| Mar. 17 | Tue. | 6:52 AM EDT – 6:52 PM EDT | Equilux (day and night of equal length) |
| Mar. 20 | Fri. | 10:48 AM EDT | March (Spring) Equinox |
| Mar. 22 | Sun. | 7:10 AM EDT | Neptune @ solar conjunction |
| Mar. 25 | Wed. | 4:45 AM EDT | Saturn @ solar conjunction |
| Mar. 27 | Sat. | 6:31 AM EDT | Mercury @ highest altitude (9° above horizon) |
| Apr. 3 | Fri. | 2:49 PM EDT | Mercury @ greatest western elongation (27.5°W of Sun) |
| Apr. 22 | Tue. | 9:00 AM EDT | Lyrid meteors (good) |
| May ?? | Psyche mission Mars flyby (sometime in May) | ||
| May 14 | Thur. | 10:31 AM EDT | Mercury @ superior conjunction |
| May 22 | Fri. | 10:17 AM EDT | Uranus @ solar conjunction |
| Jun. 5 | Fri. | 8:16 PM EDT | Venus @ highest altitude (26° above horizon) |
| Jun. 7 | Sun. | Tianwen-2 orbital insertion around quasi-moon 469219 Kamoʻoalewaamoʻoalewa | |
| Jun. 10 | Wed. | 8:20 PM EDT | Mercury @ highest altitude (17° above horizon) |
| Jun. 14 | Sun. | 5:07 AM EDT | Earliest sunrise of year (5:07:00 AM EDT) |
| Jun. 15 | Mon. | 6:40 PM EDT | Mercury @ greatest eastern elongation (24.5° E of Sun) |
| Jun. 17 | Wed. | 4:01 PM EDT – 5:09 PM EDT | Moon occults Venus (daylight) |
| Jun. 21 | Sun. | 4:28 AM EDT | June (Summer) Solstice |
| Jun. 24 | Tue. | 11:00 EDT | Jupiter @ solar conjunction |
| Jun. 27 | Sat. | 8:25 PM EDT | Latest sunset of year (8:25:23 PM) |
| Jun. 30 | Tue. | Asteroid Day | |
| Jul. ? | Astrobotics Griffin One launches to lunar south pole | ||
| Jul. 4 | Fri. | Tianwen-2 469219 Kamo’oalewa quasi-moon rendezvous and sample collection | |
| Jul. 4 | Fri. | 1:00 AM EDT | Mercury @ greatest eastern elongation (25.9° E of Sun) |
| Jul. 5 | Sat. | Hayabusa2 extended mission makes flyby of Torifune less than 100 km (62 mi) from the asteroid (sometime in July) | |
| Jul. 6 | Mon. | 1:31 PM EDT | Earth @ aphelion (1.017 AU / 152.1 million km / 94,510,886 miles) |
| Jul. 12 | Sun. | 9:21 PM EDT | Mercury @ inferior conjunction |
| Jul. 29 | Wed. | 8:07 AAM EDT | Jupiter @ solar conjunction |
| Aug. ? | Chang’e 7 launches to lunar south pole | ||
| Aug. 2 | Sun. | 9:55 AM EDT | Mercury @ greatest western elongation (18.6° W of Sun) |
| Aug. 5 | Wed. | 5:38 AM EDT | Mercury @ highest altitude in morning sky (15° above horizon) |
| Aug. 12 | Wed. | 1:14 PM EDT | Partial solar eclipse begins |
| Aug. 12 | Wed. | 1:55 PM EDT | Maxmum partial solar eclipse |
| Aug. 12 | Wed. | 2:46 PM EDT | Partial solar eclipse ends |
| Aug. 12 | Wed. | 10:10 PM EDT | Perseid meteors (excellent) |
| Aug. 14 | Fri. | 6:00 PM EDT | Venus @ greatest elongation east (45.9° E of Sun) |
| Aug. 18 | Tue. | Solar Orbiter @ perihelion # 13 | |
| Aug. 27 | Thur. | 1:12 PM EDT | Mercury @ superior conjunction |
| Aug. 27 | Thu. | 9:24 PM EDT | Penumbral lunar eclipse begins |
| Aug. 27 | Thu. | 10:33 PM EDT | Umbral lunar eclipse begins |
| Aug. 28 | Fri. | 12:42 AM EDT | Maximum lunar eclipse |
| Aug. 28 | Fri. | 1:52 AM EDT | Umbral lunar eclipse ends |
| Aug. 28 | Fri. | 3:02 AM EDT | Penumbral lunar eclipse ends |
| Sept. 8 | Tue. | 2:56 PM EDT – 3:56 PM EDT | Moon occults Jupiter (daytime) |
| Sept. 19 | Sat. | Astronomy Day | |
| Sept. 22 | Tue. | 1:32 PM EDT | Venus @ greatest brilliancy (mag. -4.6) |
| Sept. 22 | Tue. | 8:09 PM EDT | September equinox |
| Sept. 25 | Fri. | 6:36 AM EDT – 6:36 PM EDT | Equilux (day and night of equal length) |
| Sept. 25 | Fri. | 9:28 PM EDT | Neptune @ opposition |
| Sept. 29 | Tue. | JUICE second Earth flyby | |
| Oct. ? | Japan’s MMX spacecraft launches to Mars | ||
| Oct. 4 | Sun. | 8:21 AM EDT | Saturn @ opposition |
| Oct. 6 | Tue. | 4:37 AM EDT – 5:31 AM EDT | Moon occults Jupiter |
| Oct. 8 | Thur. | 6:17 PM EDT | Mercury @ highest altitude in evening sky (7° above horizon) |
| Oct. 12 | Mon. | 1:50 AM EDT | Mercury @ greatest eastern elongation (25.2° E of Sun) |
| Oct. 21 | Tue. | 8:00 AM EDT | Orionid meteors (good) |
| Oct. 23 | Fri. | 11:30 PM EDT | Venus @ inferior conjunction |
| Nov. ? | Hera arrives @ binary asteroid 65803 Didymos | ||
| Nov. 1 | Sun. | 1:00 AM EST / 2:00 AM EDT | Daylight Saving Time ends |
| Nov. 4 | Wed. | 9:21 AM EST | Mercury @ inferior conjunnction |
| Nov. 7 | Sat. | ESCAPADE Blue Earth departure | |
| Nov. 9 | Mon. | ESCAPADE Gold Earth departure | |
| Nov. 17 | Tue. | 12:00 PM EST | Leonid meteors (good) |
| Nov. 19 | Thur. | 6:37 AM EST | Mercury @ highest altitude in morning sky (17° above horizon) |
| Nov. 20 | Fri. | 7:34 PM EST | Mercury @ greatest western elongation (18.6° W of Sun) |
| Nov. 21 | Sat. | BepiColombo Mercury orbit insertion | |
| Nov. 25 | Wed. | 5:33 PM EST | Uranus @ opposition |
| Nov. 27 | Fri. | 1:38 PM EST | Venus @ greatest brilliancy (mag. – 4.7) |
| Dec.3 | Thur. | 4:15 PM EST | Europa Clipper Earth flyby |
| Dec. 8 | Tue. | 4:11 PM EST | Earliest sunset of year (4:11:40 PM EST) |
| Dec. 11 | Fri. | 1:21 PM EST | Venus @ highest altitude in morning sky (33° above horizon) |
| Dec. 14 | Mon. | 8:51 AM EST | Geminid meteors (poor) |
| Dec. 21 | Mon. | 3:54 PM EST | December (Winter) Solstice |
| Dec. 22 | Tue. | 11:00 AM EST | Ursid meteors (poor) |
| Dec. 24 | Thur. | 6:04 PM EST | Solar Orbiter Venus flyby # 5 |
Bold = cool or important | * = not visible from Boston | ||
This Year's Major Astronomical and Space Events
| Jan. 3 | Fri. | 7:13:48 AM EST | Latest sunrise of the year (7:13:48 AM EST) |