Eclipses, meteor showers, conjunctions and other moments worth planning for.
One of January’s strongest meteor streams has a short opportunity for its best display. Its name survives a discarded constellation, while its likely parent may be a comet that no longer looks active.
22 Oct 2026 · 4 min read
This modest northern shower has occasionally strengthened while its parent comet was far from the Sun. The particles follow their own orbital history, rather than travelling as one cloud beside the nucleus.
21 Oct 2026 · 4 min read
One of the strongest annual meteor showers comes from a rocky asteroid, rather than a typical icy comet. Its brief flashes carry clues to a debris trail with an unusual origin.
21 Oct 2026 · 5 min read
A familiar November shower has produced extraordinary meteor storms, but an ordinary observing night can be much quieter. The comet’s debris and the conditions of each encounter explain the difference.
21 Oct 2026 · 4 min read
Two overlapping streams explain the long Taurid season. Low activity can still include a striking bright meteor, while different observations reveal different parts of the debris family.
20 Oct 2026 · 5 min read
The Perseids lit up a moonless night in August 2026; now the countdown turns to December's Geminids and the annual pattern that brings a fresh shower every few weeks.
4 Oct 2026 · 5 min read