{"id":388523,"date":"2026-01-03T07:32:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T07:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/388523\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T07:32:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T07:32:21","slug":"10-must-shoot-events-for-astrophotographers-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/388523\/","title":{"rendered":"10 must-shoot events for astrophotographers in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Digital Camera World<\/p>\n

\/\/HEADLINE\/\/<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

10 must-shoot events for astrophotographers in 2026<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

\/\/SELL\/\/<\/p>\n

After a thrilling 2025 filled with spectacular auroras, planet parades and two bright comets, astrophotographers have much to look forward to in 2026.<\/p>\n

In the year ahead, expect another total solar eclipse \u2014 this time over Europe \u2014 the final \u201cblood moon\u201d for a few years, an unusual partial lunar eclipse, some enticing planetary conjunctions and plenty of landmark meteor showers peaking under dark, moonless skies.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a seasoned astrophotographer or just getting started, here are the 10 biggest astrophotography opportunities to circle on your calendar in 2026.<\/p>\n

The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n

1) January 10 (and October 4): Gas giants at opposition<\/p>\n

\n

\"Jupiter.
\n<\/p>\n

Saturn and Jupiter shine at their brightest when opposite the sun. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Ricardo Hueso (UPV), Imke de Pater (UC Berkeley), Thierry Fouchet (Observatory of Paris), Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester), Michael Wong (UC Berkeley), Joseph DePasquale (STScI)))<\/p>\n

Planetary cameras at the ready! For astrophotographers focused on the solar system\u2019s two brightest and most imaging-friendly planets, the bright oppositions of Saturn and Jupiter should be double-underlined in any calendar. Jupiter will open 2026 looking its best (great timing for anyone lucky enough to be gifted astrophotography gear during the festive season), with Saturn following in October.<\/p>\n

2) March 3: Total lunar eclipse<\/p>\n

\n

\"Total\n<\/p>\n

A total lunar eclipse will turn the moon red for nearly an hour. (Image credit: Gettty images)<\/p>\n

Here comes the third total lunar eclipse in three eclipse seasons \u2014 after two in 2025 \u2014 and the last until 2029. Astrophotographers in western North America, Australia, New Zealand, East Asia, and the Pacific will see the moon turn reddish for 58 minutes.<\/p>\n

3) June 9 \u2014 Venus and Jupiter in conjunction<\/p>\n

\n

\"Conjunction\n<\/p>\n

Venus and Jupiter will appear close together after sunset. (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

One of the most beautiful planetary conjunctions of 2026 will see Venus, as the bright \u201cEvening Star,\u201d shine less than two degrees from tiny planet Jupiter. The pair will be visible in the west just after sunset, close to the stars Pollux and Castor in the constellation Gemini, with the tiny planet Mercury visible below.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

4) June 19 \u2014 Venus and the Beehive Cluster<\/p>\n

\n

\"The
\n<\/p>\n

Venus will pass through the Beehive Cluster in a rare sky event (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Be outside with your camera and\/or telescope facing east on June 19, 2026, to see a lovely \u201cplanet parade\u201d of Venus, Jupiter and Mercury above the northwest horizon. Look more closely at Venus and you\u2019ll see it surrounded by a dense concentration of stars \u2014 M44, better known as the Beehive Cluster and Praesepe, one of the most beautiful open clusters of stars in the night sky. The cluster will also be visited by the moon on September 8, 2026, and by Mars on October 11, 2026.<\/p>\n

5) August 12 \u2014 Total solar eclipse<\/p>\n

\n

\"A
\n<\/p>\n

A rare total solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Europe and the Arctic. (Image credit: Alan Dyer \/ Stocktrek Images \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

After a 26-year wait, European astrophotographers and eclipse chasers finally get a chance to see nature\u2019s greatest sight on their own continent. While the U.K. will see an enormous partial solar eclipse \u2014 peaking at 96% in the Scilly Isles (and 91% in London) \u2014 the only good places to be will be on a cruise ship, eastern Greenland, on the west coast of Iceland (including the capital, Reykjavik) and northern Spain to witness an exquisite totality. For the latter, sightlines will be tricky because totality will occur just before sunset. Maximum totality will be 2 minutes 18 seconds near Iceland.<\/p>\n

Check out how to prepare for the 2026 solar eclipse.<\/a><\/p>\n

6) August 12-13 \u2014 Perseid meteor shower<\/p>\n

\n

\"Perseid
\n<\/p>\n

The Perseids will deliver a dazzling meteor display after the eclipse. (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

For some, August 12, 2026, will feature a unique astrophotography double header, with the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower occurring the night after a solar eclipse. Expect about 60 meteors per hour in the early hours of August 13.<\/p>\n

7) August 28 \u2014 Partial lunar eclipse<\/p>\n

\n

\"Partial\n<\/p>\n

A deep partial lunar eclipse will dim most of the moon\u2019s surface in August (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Most lunar eclipses aren\u2019t total, but it\u2019s rare for the moon to only partly enter Earth\u2019s central shadow in space. That\u2019s exactly what happens on August 28, 2026, when about 96% of the lunar surface will turn slightly reddish from North America, South America, parts of Europe and Africa. Is it a \u201cblood moon?\u201d Technically, it won\u2019t be, but it\u2019s as close as anyone will get until New Year\u2019s Eve 2028.<\/p>\n

8) October 5 and November 16: Mars in close conjunctions<\/p>\n

\n

\"France.\n<\/p>\n

Mars will pair closely with the moon and Jupiter in two stunning dawn events (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The red planet will rise in the northeast in the early hours of October 5, 2026, with the 30% waning crescent moon less than a degree away. They\u2019ll be visible in the southeast just before sunrise, with Jupiter shining brightly below. A similar positioning and timing will occur six weeks later, on November 16, 2026, when Mars and Jupiter will be just over a degree apart, with the bright star Regulus positioned just below.<\/p>\n

9) December 13-14: Geminid meteor shower<\/p>\n

\n

\"A
\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

It gets left off a lot of Northern Hemisphere astrophotographers\u2019 calendars because of low temperatures and a higher chance of cloud. Still, it\u2019s worth knowing that the Geminid meteor shower is, technically, the most prolific display of \u201cshooting stars\u201d of any year. In 2026, the peak occurs on a moonless night.<\/p>\n

10) December 24 \u2014 A Christmas Eve supermoon for the ages<\/p>\n

\n

\"The
\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The supermoon on December 24, 2026, will be the closest and largest full moon since 2019, coming just 221,668 miles (356,740 km) from Earth. Appearing brighter and slightly bigger than usual, imaging it as it rises in the east on Christmas Eve will prove a fitting finale to 2026\u2019s skywatching calendar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Digital Camera World \/\/HEADLINE\/\/ 10 must-shoot events for astrophotographers in 2026 You may like \/\/SELL\/\/ After a thrilling…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":388524,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[449,458,459,64,63,460,134],"class_list":{"0":"post-388523","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-au","12":"tag-australia","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=388523"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388523\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/388524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=388523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=388523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=388523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}