What to expect from the planets in 2026 — key dates and sky events

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Want to know when each planet will be at its best or when you can see eye-catching planetary couples in 2026?

This guide details the year’s major planetary events, from conjunctions to oppositions to close planet-star encounters.

Related: Live blog about the night sky tonight

Mercury

Mercury, the smallest of the planets visible to the naked eye, appears as an evening star in the western sky, setting about an hour later the sun. Inasmuch as morning starit rises about an hour before the sun in the eastern sky. To observe the planet, a clear and unobstructed view of the horizon is essential. Mercury usually appears as a bright “star” with a yellowish or ocher tint.

Visibility windows in 2026

• Evenings: February 5 to 26; from June 1 to 22; September 28-Oct. 19

• Morning: from March 27 to April 17; from July 26 to August 16; November 13 – December 4

When will he be at his best?

• Morning: November 13 – December 4

On the evening of February 18, about 30 minutes after sunset, Mercury will be just 1 degree above a thin, waxing crescent moon low in the west-southwest.

Venus

Venuswith its nearly circular orbit and a diameter only 400 miles (640 kilometers) smaller than that Earth‘s, shines with a bright and constant silver light.

Visibility windows in 2026

• Evenings: From March 8 to October 14

• Mornings: November 3 – December 31

When will he be at his best?

Venus reaches its greatest brightness in the evening sky on September 19 and in the morning sky on November 29. From late September to mid-October, and then through most of November, Venus will show a striking crescent phase in fixed telescopes and binoculars.

Notable conjunctions:

• March 8: Venus passes 1 degree to the upper right of Saturn.

• June 9: Venus passes 1.6 degrees to the upper right of Jupiter – a brilliant west-northwest view 45 minutes after sunset.

• November 7 (morning): Shortly before sunrise, look low to the east-southeast to find Venus, a crescent moon and the star. Spicaall adjusting to less than 2.5 degrees.

March

Mars, long associated with Ares, the Greek god of war, shines as a star with a yellowish-orange hue and can vary greatly in brightness.

Visibility in 2026

• Mornings: March 18-December 31

When will he be at his best?

It’s a “dead” year for March. The planet begins 2026 lost in the sun’s glare and reaches solar conjunction on January 9, sitting on the far side of the Sun. solar system approximately 223 million kilometers from Earth.

Mars begins to reappear during the third week of March, rising before sunrise among the faint stars of Aquarius. He moves in Bull for the first half of summer, only shining around a magnitude of +1.3.

Highlights of the sky:

• October 11: Mars crosses the Beehive Cluster in Cancer – an attractive sight to the binoculars.

• November 26: Mars passes 1.7 degrees above Regulus in Leo, creating a dramatic color contrast.

• At the end of December, Mars lights up magnitude –0.1 and will compete Arcturus in color and brightness.

• February 19, 2027: Mars reaches its next opposition, so it gradually approaches Earth at the end of 2026.

Notable conjunctions:

• April 20: Mars aligns closely with Saturn and Mercury.

• July 4: Mars passes just 0.1 degrees south of Uranus, providing a superb guide to locating Uranus.

• November 16: Mars passes 1.2 degrees to the upper left of Jupiter.

Jupiter

Jupiter, the giant planet whose diameter is about 11 times that of Earth, shines with a silvery-white glow.

Visibility windows in 2026

• Mornings: from January 1 to 9; August 19 – December 31

• Evenings: January 10 – July 7

Jupiter reaches opposition on January 10 and shines brightest from January 1 to 22 at magnitude -2.7 in Gemini. It enters Cancer on June 22 and Leo on September 24, where it remains until the end of the year.

On June 9, Jupiter joins Venus in a superb “double planet” displayed low in the west-northwest at dusk.

Lunar occultation of October 6

On the morning of October 6, observers across most of North America (excluding the far west) and northern Cuba will witness a spectacular lunar occultation of Jupiter. A waning crescent Moon will slide directly in front of Jupiter, hiding it for up to an hour depending on location. Jupiter disappears behind the bright limb and reappears dramatically on the dark side of the Moon.

Saturn

Saturn shines as a yellowish-white “star” of moderate luminosity. Its famous rings, invisible to the naked eye, turned upside down in 2025 and were almost impossible to see for weeks. They slowly open again.

Path of the constellations in 2026:

• Starts in Aquarius (until January 14)

• Enters Pisces (January 14 – April 8)

• Travels via Cetus (April 9 to June 2)

• Return to Pisces (June 3 – September 4)

• Return to Cetus (from September 5)

Visibility windows in 2026

• Evenings: From January 1 to March 8; October 4-December 31

• Mornings: April 12 – October 3

Saturn reaches opposition on October 4 and is brightest from September 24 to October 1. 9.

Notable conjunctions:

• February 15: Saturn, however, is less than one degree from Neptune. Neptune is much weaker.

• April 20: Saturn aligns with Mars and Mercury.

Uranus

Uranus can be seen with the naked eye under very dark skies by careful observers. With a magnitude of +5.6, it is easily found with binoculars; small telescopes show a tiny greenish disk.

Uranus spends all of 2026 in Taurus.

Visibility windows in 2026

• Evenings: from January 1 to May 5; November 25 – December 31

• Mornings: From June 9 to Nov. 24

Uranus reaches opposition on November 25 and is brightest from October 24 to December. 30.

On July 4, Uranus is located just 0.1 degrees north of Mars, making Mars an ideal indicator to the seventh planet. Mars will eclipse Uranus by a factor of about 158.

Neptune

Neptune remains in Pisces throughout 2026. At magnitude +7.8, it is only visible with binoculars or a telescope and appears bluish gray.

Visibility windows in 2026

• Evenings: From January 1 to March 6; September 25-Dec. 31

• Mornings: April. September 8-24

Neptune reaches opposition on September 25 and is brightest from July 28 to November. 24.

On February 15, Neptune is less than 1 degree to the upper right of Saturn, although Neptune is only about 1/525 as bright.

Joe Rao is an instructor and guest lecturer at New York University Hayden Planetarium. He writes on astronomy for Natural history review, Sky and telescope and other publications.