Brutkey

David Dickinson
@AstroDave@scicomm.xyz

Top Astronomy Events to Watch for in February 2026

1-Full (Snow) Moon
3-Moon (-96% waning gibbous) occults Regulus (N. America, N. Atlantic, W. Africa)
11-Moon (-35% waning crescent) occults Antares (S. Atlantic)
16-Moon (+0.7% waxing crescent) occults Mars (South Pacific)
17-Annular solar eclipse (Antarctic)
18-Venus pairs with slim waxing crescent Moon
18-Moon (+2.6% waxing crescent) occults Mercury (SE U.S.)
19-Mercury at greatest elongation (18 deg E, dusk)
24-Moon (+43% waxing crescent) occults M45 (Arctic)

David Dickinson
@AstroDave@scicomm.xyz

Top Astronomy Events to Watch for in January 2026

3-Earth at perihelion
3-Full Moon
4-Quadrantid meteors (ZHR~100)
6-Venus at superior conjunction
6-The -86% Moon occults Regulus (NE Asia)
8-Comet 24P/Schaumasse reaches perihelion
8-Venus v Mars (12’)
10-Jupiter at opposition
14-The -15% Moon occults Antares (Australia)
18-Mercury v Mars (1 deg)
18-New Moon
20-Comet C/2024 E1 Wierzchos reaches perihelion
27-The +70% Moon occults M45 (Arctic)
29-Mercury v Venus (42’)

https://www.universetoday.com/articles/top-astronomical-events-to-watch-for-in-2026

David Dickinson
@AstroDave@scicomm.xyz

A pioneering mission in solar astronomy and space weather science passed a key milestone this week, as the Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) crossed an amazing 30 years in space.

SOHO has far exceeded its original 2-year nominal mission. The mission launched on December 2, 1995 from Cape Canaveral U.S. Air Force Station on an ATLAS IIAS rocket. SOHO’s vantage point parked in a Lissajous halo orbit around the sunward L1 Lagrange point a million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth affords it an uninterrupted view of the Sun.

Here’s our post on the amazing mission milestone for Sky & Telescope: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/the-solar-and-heliospheric-observatory-celebrates-30-years-in-space/

David Dickinson
@AstroDave@scicomm.xyz

Top Astronomy Events to Watch for in December 2025

4-Moon (+98%-waxing gibbous) occults the Pleiades (NW North America, N Europe)
4-Full Cold Moon
8-Mercury at greatest elongation W(21º-dawn)
10-Moon (-66%-waning gibbous) occults Regulus (N. North America)
14-Geminid meteors (ZHR~150, Moon -23% waning crescent)
18-Moon (-2%-waning crescent) occults Antares (S. Pacific)
20-New Moon
21-Winter Solstice
22-Ursid meteors (ZHR~10, Moon +7% waxing crescent)
31-Moon (+88%-waxing gibbous) occults the Pleiades (NE Asia/Alaska)

https://www.universetoday.com/articles/top-astronomy-events-for-2025