09/30/2026
✨ October 2026 Astronomy Events Guide: Stargazing Calendar & Moon Phases ✨
Explore the night sky with this comprehensive guide to the top celestial events happening throughout October 2026. All times are listed in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Convert to your local time zone as needed.
October 1, 2026 – Moon & Pleiades (M45) Close Approach
Time: Evening hours after sunset
Location / Viewing Direction: Look toward the Eastern sky.
October 3, 2026 – Third Quarter Moon
Exact Phase Time: 13:25 UTC
Location / Viewing Direction: Rises around midnight; visible high in the southern/southeastern sky before dawn.
October 4, 2026 – Saturn at Opposition
Peak Opposition Time: ~12:00 UTC
Location / Viewing Direction: Rises in the East/Southeast at sunset, reaches its highest point in the Southern sky around midnight, and sets in the West at sunrise. (Best viewing night of the year for Saturn)
October 5, 2026 – Moon & Mars Close Approach
Time: Early morning, before sunrise
Location / Viewing Direction: Look toward the Eastern sky.
October 6, 2026 – Moon & Jupiter Close Approach
Time: Early morning, before sunrise
Location / Viewing Direction: Look low toward the Eastern sky.
October 7, 2026 – Mercury & Venus Close Approach
Time: Early morning, shortly before sunrise
Location / Viewing Direction: Look low toward the Eastern horizon.
October 8–9, 2026 – Draconid Meteor Shower Peak
Peak Time: Night of Oct 8 to early morning
Oct 9 (Peak ~01:00 UTC)
Location / Viewing Direction: Look toward the Northeast sky shortly after nightfall. (Near-zero moon interference makes this an ideal viewing window).
October 10, 2026 – New Moon
Exact Phase Time: 15:50 UTC
Location: Aligned with the Sun; not visible in the night sky (Provides ideal dark-sky conditions for deep-sky observation).
October 12, 2026 – Mercury at Greatest Elongation East
Time: Twilight hours right after sunset
Location / Viewing Direction: Look low toward the Western horizon.
October 18, 2026 – First Quarter Moon
Exact Phase Time: 16:12 UTC
Location / Viewing Direction: Visible in the Southern to Southwestern sky during late afternoon and early evening hours.
October 21–22, 2026 – Orionid Meteor Shower Peak
Peak Time: Late night Oct 21 into the early morning hours of Oct 22
Location / Viewing Direction: Look toward the Eastern sky after midnight.
October 24–25, 2026 – Moon & Saturn Close Approach
Time: Evening hours after sunset
Location / Viewing Direction: Look toward the Southwestern sky.
October 26, 2026 – Full Moon (Hunter's Moon)
Exact Phase Time: 04:11 UTC
Location / Viewing Direction: Rises in the East at sunset, crosses high overhead at midnight, and sets in the West at sunrise (Visible all night).
October 27–28, 2026 – Moon & Pleiades Close Approach
Time: Evening hours through midnight
Location / Viewing Direction: Look toward the Eastern sky after sunset.
