The decade rolls along as the Solar System rocks with another year of eclipses both lunar and solar, and a nearly ringless Saturn. There will be at least one bright planet to observe on any given evening, and more often two or more. There will be a buffet of lunar and planetary conjunctions, satellites, the International Space Station, and meteor showers to feast on. The Sun should still be active, so there may be more chances to see an aurora and maybe another comet with a long, flowing tail as an added treat!

Eclipse lovers will enjoy this year with two lunar and one solar eclipse lending hope that at least one of them will be visible. The first eclipse of the year is on March 3, a lunar and total, but unlike last March it will be challenging as it competes with the increasing morning twilight before succumbing to the sunrise. The partial phase begins at 4:50 A.M. with totality beginning at 6:04 A.M. in brightening twilight and setting during sunrise exactly at mid-totality at 6:33 A.M. The next one is barely six months later, on August 27-28, and is almost total. The eclipse begins at 10:33 P.M. and ends at 1:52 A.M. peaking at 12:13 A.M. with the Moon 93% eclipsed, one of the longest partial lunar eclipses possible. The next chance for a fully observable total lunar eclipse will not be until June 25-26, 2029. A partial solar eclipse occurs on August 12 with the Sun 12% eclipsed at 1:47 P.M. The eclipse begins at 12:58 P.M. and ends at 2:35 P.M. This is a total solar eclipse in Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. The next solar eclipse will also be a partial on January 26, 2028.

The year starts off with Jupiter and Saturn dominating the evening sky until February when Venus arrives with its brilliance. Saturn fades into the twilight during February followed by Jupiter in July. Mercury will briefly join Venus and Jupiter for about a month starting in late May and then leaves Venus to dominate the summer evenings until it too departs in October. The evening sky will not be bare as Saturn will already be well up in the east before midnight in September, followed by Jupiter and Mars close to each other by December. Uranus and Neptune will be worthy targets from September into winter. Here is the breakdown for each planet in the evening sky during 2026:

Mercury: This sun-drenched world is always very low on the horizon immersed in bright twilight, but it is easiest to see in the evening from May 28 – June 17, being highest on June 10. Mercury will grow steadily through this period from 6 to 10 arcseconds across as it approaches Earth, but its magnitude will dim from -1 to +2. It will go through phases like a tiny, coppery version of the waning Moon, from nearly full to a thin crescent.

Venus: This heat-smothered world will become visible low after sunset during February and remain low this year with it being highest above the western horizon on June 12. Venus will be at its brightest at magnitude -4.6 on September 22 before dipping out of view during October as it passes through inferior conjunction, between the Earth and Sun, on October 23. It will grow from nearly full to a crescent by August and continue to swell into a huge thin crescent over an arcminute across by mid-October.

Mars: This dust-whipped world will have an off-year as it remains on the far side of the Sun, distant and tiny. It will rise before midnight by the holidays and slowly grow larger and brighter as it heads for opposition next February. A complete Mars observing guide will appear in the December 2026 issue of Telescopic Topics.

Jupiter: This radiation-blasted world kicks off the year at its best as it is at opposition on January 10 in Gemini, having an angular diameter of 46.6 arcseconds across and shining at magnitude -2.7. Jupiter begins the year well up in the south during the evening, making for an excellent opportunity to follow it through one full rotation during the long winter nights as it rotates in less than ten hours while winter nights last more than twelve hours. Jupiter is a huge, stormy world that is always very large and rewarding to observe and photograph. The large size allows for detailed viewing of the cloud belts, polar hoods, and Great Red Spot. It should be possible to see the tiny discs of the larger moons, Callisto and Ganymede, and to compare their size to smaller Europa and Io. It might even be possible to detect slight color differences among them. Jupiter will eventually become lost in the evening twilight by June as it fades to magnitude -2.0 and shrinks to 33 arcseconds across. Jupiter rises before midnight by December to herald another winter of great viewing, weather permitting of course.

Saturn: This ring-embraced world remains nearly ringless this year, but the beautiful view will soon return in the years ahead as the rings slowly open. Saturn is at opposition on October 4 in Cetus when it will be 19.7 arcseconds across and shine at magnitude +0.3. This will be another good year to observe and compare both polar hoods and any cloud belts and spots. The largest moon, Titan, is easily visible shining around 8th magnitude as it orbits around Saturn in 15.9 days. With less glare than usual due to the narrow rings, it will remain easier to find the smaller, dimmer moons such as Rhea, Dione, Tethys, and Enceladus. Saturn will slowly fade to magnitude +0.8 and shrink to around 15 arcseconds across by February 2027 when it becomes lost in the twilight glow.

Uranus: This haze-blanketed world remains in the beautiful realm of the Pleiades and Hyades making it easier to locate. It is at opposition on November 25 in Taurus when it will be 3.8 arcseconds across and shine at magnitude +5.6. Uranus can also be seen earlier this year in the evening not long after sunset before becoming lost in the evening twilight by April.

Neptune: This storm-tossed world is a blue-gray tinted tiny disc. It is at opposition on September 25 in Pisces when it will be 2.4 arcseconds across and shine at magnitude +7.8. It can also be seen in the early evening to begin the year before becoming lost in the evening twilight by February. A finder chart for Uranus and Neptune will appear in the September issue of Telescopic Topics.

Pluto: This frost-coated world opens its heart to all who wish to observe it, but it will be a challenge. Pluto is at opposition on July 27 low in Capricornus, when it will be nothing more than a dim spark at magnitude +14.5 and only 0.1 arcseconds across. Pluto will become increasingly difficult to locate and observe as it continues to move farther from the Sun for the rest of this century and dims below magnitude +15.0.The decade rolls along as the Solar System rocks with another year of eclipses both lunar and solar, and a nearly ringless Saturn. There will be at least one bright planet to observe on any given evening, and more often two or more. There will be a buffet of lunar and planetary conjunctions, satellites, the International Space Station, and meteor showers to feast on. The Sun should still be active, so there may be more chances to see an aurora and maybe another comet with a long, flowing tail as an added treat!