Some astronomical events March – April 2026

The Moon will again appear to be very close to the star Regulus March 2nd, closer and closer going west, with an occultation in Hawaii, Japan, Korea, etc.  They will be close together again the evening of March 29th.

[World Wildlife Day was March 3rd.]

There will be a total lunar eclipse the morning of March 3rd (visible from North and South America, the Pacific, and East Asia).  Woodcock activity and the Moon?  North Carolina might miss the finish?  The next total lunar eclipse visible from the Americas after this will be June 26, 2029 (?).

There will be a conjunction of Venus and Saturn the evening of March 7th.  Saturn will soon be hidden by the Sun for about two months.

DST will return March 8th (in the USA).

The Moon will be near and under the bright, reddish star Antares, in Scorpius, the morning of March 8th.

[International Quds Day ("Jerusalem Day;" روز جهانی قدس or Ruz Jahâni Quds in Persian), marked on the last Friday during Ramadan, is March 13th in 2026:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quds_Day ]

The Moon will occult the star tau Sagittarii again (see above) on the morning of March 13th (seen from the eastern US and Canada, Cuba, etc.), it will occult the star delta Capricorni or Deneb Algedi March 16th, and the Moon will occult the star kappa Geminorum (by the bright star Pollux and Jupiter was next to it in January, if not in March:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_Geminorum ) March 26-27th, seen from the US and throughout Canada and the Caribbean:  is.gd/occultations   The Moon will be close to the star beta Tauri or El Nath March 24th.  It will be an occultation from the eastern Caribbean and northern South America (in beleaguered Venezuela?). 

Jupiter will be furthest north in the sky on March 13th.

Ramadan is February 18th-March 19th this year:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

Northern Hemisphere's spring equinox will be March 20th (at 10:46am EDT) this year.  The traditional Aries period begins around March 21st (March 20th in 2026??).  R.H. Allen on the constellation Aries:   penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Aries*.html

[Nowruz, the start of spring and a new year the in Iran's very accurate Solar Hijri calendar, begins on the spring equinox.  Nowruz began with Iranic peoples, but it is a religious holiday in Zoroastrianism, Baháʼísm, and Ismaʿili Shia Islam, and is marked by some or many communities in Afghanistan, China (Xinjiang), and throughout Central Asia, in Kurdistan, Albania (on March 22nd?), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sweden, the USA, the UN, etc.  In Iran Chaharshanbe Suri (Persian:  چهارشنبه‌سوری ; čahâr-šanbeh suri; "Festive Wednesday") will be celebrated March 18th (today) in 2026 (Eldfesten is held every year in Stockholm for Chaharshanbe Suri?).   Sizdah Bedar (سیزده‌بدر; "outdoor 13th" or Nature Day روز طبیعت ?) marks the end of the 13-day holiday in Iran.  s   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Hijri_calendar (note Tajikistan), and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_peoples ]

[Apparently redbud trees (Cercis) are a traditional part of the celebration in Kabul; a native pink redbud (C. canadensis) began blooming on the edge of woods across the street here by March 17th.  Baháʼísm is a well established religion here and there are many people of South or West Asian descent in the Triangle.]  

[Eid al-Fitr began March 20th this year? – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Fitr and www.rt.com/russia/635624-eid-festival-moscow-mosque/ ]

[Also on or near the equinox:   Ostara, Japan's Shunbun no Hi ( 春分の日 ) or Vernal Equinox Day; International Astrology Day; World Storytelling Day; World Citizen Day; the Burning of the Socks in the harbor of Annapolis, Maryland; etc.; Albania's Dita e Verës / Verëza is March 14th; Egypt's Sham el-Nessim is on Coptic Orthodox Easter Monday; Mother's Day is apparently often on the equinox in the Arab world; Latvia's Lieldienas is around Easter; the Feast of the Annunciation is near the equinox; Roman Hilaria, Norse Dísablót, and the Slavic drowning of Marzanna were on or around the equinox; people observe the equinox in Cahokia, Teotihuacán, Chichen Itza, Angkor Wat, Loughcrew, etc.? – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_equinox ]

[I had hoped to post in late March about some cherry blossom festivals and other seasonal events, but maybe in April and next year.] 

 

The 2026 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC will be March 20th to April 12th:  nationalcherryblossomfestival.org  

The asteroid 20 Massalia will reach opposition March 21st (at 11am EDT).  It was discovered, observing from Naples, September 19, 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis (November 9, 1819 in Bugnara, Abruzzo, in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies – March 21, 1892 in Naples, Campania, Kingdom of Italy) and its name refers to Marseille, France, where astronomer Jean Chacornac (June 21, 1823 in Lyon – September 6, 1873 in Saint-Jean-en-Royans) observed it September 20th.  Massalia was the first asteroid or minor planet not given a name from myth and not given an "iconic symbol," as in the 'male' symbol for Mars, the 'female' symbol for Venus, etc.?  Water in some form was apparently discovered on 7 Iris (see above) and Massalia in February 2026.  De Gasparis discovered asteroid 16 Psyche March 17, 1852 and others. – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Massalia , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annibale_de_Gasparis , and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Chacornac

[World Water Day is every March 22nd:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Water_Day  World Wetlands Day is every February 2nd, commemorating the UN Ramsar Convention, established in Ramsar, Iran on that day in 1971:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wetlands_Day ]

[Durham Creek Week 2027 will be March 13th-21st.]

[DST returned March 29th in the UK?]

[April is Astronomy Month; the spring Astronomy Day is April 25th and there is a fall Astronomy Day (?):  is.gd/GlobalAstronomyMonth and astronomyday.astroleague.org ]

[April is also Earth Month, with Earth Day on April 22nd.]  

]April 1st-30th:  ncsciencefestival.org  Including a Statewide Star Party again this year?

From Harris Lake County Park and the American Tobacco Trail:

Join us for the Statewide Star Party on the ATT, a signature event of the NC Science Festival!

Friday, April 24; 6-9:30 p.m.

White Oak parking area (1305 White Oak Church Rd., Apex)

(Rain/cloud date: Saturday, April 25; 6-9:30 pm)

This year marks the 14th annual Statewide Star Party and the theme is "Mission to the Moon"! Take part in fun, hands-on activities from 6-8:15 p.m., including solar system walks (two times will be available), interactive educational activities, crafts, face painting, and games (cornhole and giant Connect 4) early in the evening. As the sun goes down, enjoy constellation storytelling around the campfire with Go Camp! LLC, and observe the night sky through telescopes as experts from the Raleigh Astronomy Club take you on a celestial tour, including the Moon, Venus, and the Pleiades star cluster!

This free event is hosted by Wake County’s American Tobacco Trail staff partnering with the Raleigh Astronomy Club, Go Camp! LLC, Kona Ice of Western Wake, and Green Level High School's Astronomy Club and Science National Honor Society and the National Art Honor Society, with generous volunteer assistance from Green Hope High School. Enjoy a sweet treat or hot beverage (coffee or cocoa) from Kona Ice while you listen to storytelling around the campfire.

All ages and skill levels are welcome. Bring your curiosity, water bottle, chair and/or blanket, and a picnic dinner to enjoy beforehand if you wish. This event will take place on the field at the White Oak parking area under the stars. 

*We will make a weather decision on April 22 regarding the event date (whether it will be held on April 24 or 25) and post on the

ATT Facebook page.

The Statewide Star Party is made possible with the support of 

NC Space Grant and the NC Science Festival.

FREE! Registration is not required! 

This is an excellent opportunity for Junior Park Explorer credit! ]

There will be an apparition of the planet Mercury March 27th, but it won't be very high up; greatest elongation will be April 3rd.

The Moon will be near the relatively bright star Spica in Virgo the evening of April 2nd and again on April 29th, after a sidereal month of 27.3 days. 

The Moon will occlude the triple star pi Scorpii or Fang early April 6th from the Eastern US, Central America, and northern South America, but at the northern end only the re-emergence of the three the triple stars (one by one?  50" and 0.0003"of separation is too close to see??) will be visible.  From Savannah, Georgia the occultation will be begin at 12:06am EST and end at 1:05am.  See the programs Stellarium.org , SkySafariAstronomy.com , or lunar-occultations.com/iota/occult4.htm ?

[International Dark Sky Week is April 13-20th in 2026:  idsw.darksky.org ]

The waning crescent Moon (a mere 6 degrees high and higher than the other objects), Mercury, and Mars might be visible the morning of April 15th, while Saturn and Neptune will definitely be invisible? 

A waxing crescent Moon and the planet Venus will appear to be close together the evening of April 18th.  The Moon can be a marker to find very bright Venus even during daytime.

Comet PanSTARRS (C/2025 R3) was discovered September 8, 20252 from Hawaii and will reach perihelion and be hidden by the Sun April 19th, but it could brighten to magnitude 7 before then.  It will be going east (did they mean to say west??) through the south center side of Pegasus (or the Great Square of Pegasus) before (well before?) dawn by late March.

[The eta Aquariid meteor shower is visible around April 19th-May 28th, and peaks in early May; the Lyrids fall April 14-30th:  www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/ ]

The Lyrid meteor shower will peak around 4am on April 22nd, but will be visible before and after that date.  See amsmeteors.org for dates.

The Moon will be near Jupiter in Gemini in the evening on April 22nd and Jupiter will appear to be close to the star Wasat (see above) on the 30th, not to be repeated before 2037.

Venus will appear to be close to the Pleiades and Uranus the evening of April 23rd.  

The Moon will be close to the Beehive, Manger, or Praesepe star cluster (M44) early on April 24th and from the West Coast and Alaska (the best view will be west and north) it will be an occultation.  From San Francisco the occultation will begin around 2am and end around 2:30am.  rly l

[Added April 4th; see also the 2026 NC Science Festival, April 1st-30th – ]

The Moon will appear to be close to the relatively bright star Regulus in Leo the evening of April 25th from the Western US, much of México, etc.  It will be an occultation from the Caribbean, the Eastern US, Central America, and northeastern South America (in Venezuela?).  From Miami, Florida the occultation will begin around 8:34pm and end around 9:59pm.  See is.gd/RegulusApril2026 for the timings in 660 places.

– From recent issues of Sky and Telescope and Astronomy magazines and see:  planetary.org/night-sky  I don't really know the Winter Hexagon asterism, though it is bright, but there is a chart on page 22 of the February issue Sky and Telescope.  The relatively bright Summer Triangle is up in the east near dawn now.   Looking through R.H. Allen's (early spring?) 1899 book Star Names recently I found out that there is or was a Diamond of Virgo asterism (composed of Spica, Arcturus in Bootes, Denebola in Leo, and Cor Caroli in the relatively dim northern polar constellation Canes Venatici).  

NPR often hypes so-called "supermoons,"

Some astronomical events fall 2025 – January 2026

A remaining bright red and green swamp chestnut oak (or basket oak or cow oak) leaf in the sun on the morning of November 22, 2025. ©

An American snout butterfly (Libytheana carinenta) mid-morning on November 22, 2025. ©

One of three Carolina or green anoles (Anolis carolinensis), darkened to absorb the weaker solar radiation of winter, out in the afternoon on November 22, 2025. © 

The second of three Carolina or green anoles (Anolis carolinensis), might be female, out in mid or late afternoon on November 22, 2025? © 

Pink camellia flowers on the morning of November 22, 2025. ©

[The images were added later.  For more photos from late November 2025 see:  durhamspark.blogspot.com/2026/02/revising-durhams-udoldclup-planning.html ]

More meteor showers were coming up; the Orionids, created by Halley's Comet, peaked October 20-21; moonlight wasn't a major problem, though meteors can be looked for off-peak too (bright fireballs are more common three days after the peak); there were the Annual Andromedids, Southern Piscids (the Northern Piscids ended around October 19th?), Orionids, Leonids, and the Southern and Northern Taurids (the Southern Taurids peak on October 31st), etc., though most of these are minor showers.  The Draconids appear October 8-9th only.

See – David Levy's The Sky:  A User's Guide and amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/ 

The Orionid meteor shower, pieces of Halley's Comet, is visible September 26 – November 22, peaking October 20 – 21.  The weaker Southern Taurids September 28 – December 2, peaking November 4 – 5 and the Northern Taurids October 13 – December 2, peaking November 11 – 12; the Leonids November 3 – December 2, peaking November 17 – 18, maybe with a storm in 2099; the Geminids November 19 – December 24, peaking December 13 – 14; the Ursids December 13 – 24, peaking December 21 – 22; and the Quadrantids December 26 – January 16, peaking January 3 – 4:  amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/ 

Partially repeating the morning of September 19th (I plan to post a photo, in a future post), a delicate waning crescent Moon and Venus (magnitude -3.9) appeared very close together at the west end of Virgo the morning of October 19th (see below).

October 27th the waxing crescent Moon occulted the star tau Sagittarii, seen from the eastern US and Canada, etc.  Tau Sagittarii vanished behind the invisible, unilluminated part of the Moon.  If Sagittarius is visualized as a teapot, tau Sagittarii forms the far eastern crook of the handle. Tau Sagittarii has magnitude 3.3, similar to that of Alcyone, the brightest member of the about the Pleiades, according to Sky and Telescope magazine (the relevant Audubon guide gives Alcyone's magnitude as 2.9, 240 light year away.  On The Wow! radio signal and tau Sagittarii – see Wikipedia:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tau_Sagittarii   R.H. Allen on the constellation:  penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Sagittarius*.html

To be repeated the morning of March 13th (from the eastern US and Canada, Cuba, etc.):  is.gd/occultations 

October 28th evening the crescent Moon occulted the star delta Capricorni, Deneb Algedi, Al Dhanab al Jady, Scheddi, Al Muhibbain, or Al Muhanaim (magnitude 2.8, according to S and T; in the Babylonian constellation Arkat sha hi-na Shahuu (a long u, with a bar over the letter?); this constellation and the alternate names come from R.H. Allen's book Star Names ; online at:  penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Capricornus*.html ) in the dim southern constellation Capricornus (I find it by going down Aquila's east or left wing); visible from the eastern US and Canada, a large part of Mexico and neighboring countries, etc.  There is some variability in Deneb Algedi's brightness, according to the Audubon guide, and the star is a 'mere' 50 light years away.  German astronomer Johann Galle discovered the planet Neptune nearby (5 degrees east) September 23, 1846. See Wikipedia:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune

The Moon was full on November 5th (and on December 4th) and new on November 20th (and December 19th).  It looked full, rising 'early' (EST) November 4th.

The waxing Moon was in conjunction with Saturn November 1st (and on the 29th).  The waning Moon was in conjunction with Jupiter and the star Pollux in Gemini the morning of November 9th; the Moon was in conjunction with the Beehive, Manger, or Praesepe star cluster (M44) November 10-11th; the Moon was in conjunction with or occlude the star Spica November 17th, the end of a series of meetings that began in June 2024 (and again in 2031); and the Moon joined Venus on the 18th.

Venus and Mercury were close together in the eastern sky the morning of November 25th, but hard to see.

The near full Moon again occulted Taurus' Pleiades star cluster, December 3rd in the evening, starting at about 8:42pm EST.   The Moon will again be close to the Pleiades on February 23rd and will be seen to occult some of them far to the north of here.

The Full Moon was December 4th.  This was the last major lunar standstill northern moonrise, not to be repeated until 2042? – www.youtube.com/c/GriffithObservatory and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_standstill  I think it was cloudy here on the 4th and 5th, but the Moon was visible on the 3rd and 6th (rising above Jupiter in a somewhat milky sky).  It was pretty cold the night of the 3rd and seemed humid but milder on the 6th.

Mercury was visible as a 'morning star' in an late November and early December (the best view in 2025 was December 6th, they say).

Jupiter, the brightest stars of Gemini, and the Moon could be seen close together in the morning and evening on the 7th.

The Moon was in conjunction with or even occluded the relatively bright star Regulus in Leo December 9-11th (they were closest on the 10th at about 12:15am by your local time; the occultation was around 12:08-12:21am CST north of the USA?  See:  is.gd/Regulus2025 ).  There will be more conjunctions through 2026, maybe in February; this series began in July 2025.  The Moon apparently moves by about its own diameter against the stars each hour (!).

The Geminid meteor shower peaked around 3am EST on December 14th and the Ursids around 5am EST on the 22nd.

The Moon was in conjunction with the relatively bright southern star Spica in Virgo the morning of December 14th and with Saturn on the 26th.

Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice was Sunday, December 21st in 2025.  

The traditional Capricorn period begins around December 22nd (with the solstice?).  No longer astronomically accurate though, as the Sun was still 'in' Sagittarius, not Capricornus, until around January 19th.  On the constellations:  penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Capricornus*.html and penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Sagittarius*.html

Christmas can be celebrated December 25th or January 6th, 7th, or 19th – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas 

The Moon reached perigee on the 1st (at 4:44pm EST).

The asteroid Harmonia came to opposition January 2nd (at 10am EST).  40 Harmonia was discovered March 31, 1856 by the German-French astronomer Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40_Harmonia and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Goldschmidt

The Quadrantid meteor shower peaked at 4am January 3rd, but is visible from December 26th to January 16th:  amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/2020-meteor-shower-list/ (Astronomy magazine says December 28th to January 12th, but the shower is "narrow;" there are often brighter fireballs, which the bright near full Moon wouldn't wash out); there are only minor meteor showers afterward, until the Lyrids and eta Aquarids begin to fall in the middle of April, they say:  amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/

The Earth's perihelion relative to the Sun (they were 91.4 million miles apart) was January 3rd at 12pm EST

The evening of January 3rd Jupiter and the Full (Wolf) Moon (technically, the Moon was full at 5:03am EST and the conjunction 'peaked' at 5pm) were in conjunction, about four degrees apart (it was overcast during the day here, but cleared up the evening?):  See the January 3rd entry on spaceweather.com/

The Meteorite Mailing List closed down after January 5th; the archive remained, but was gone by the 8th? – www.mail-archive.com/meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com/info.html  See Meteorite Central at right for archives.  

Christian Twelfth Day, Three Kings' Day, Little Christmas, etc. is January 6th. – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelfth_Night_(holiday) ; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday) ; from the Smithsonian:  www.si.edu/collections/snapshot/happy-three-kings-day  

Christmas can be celebrated January 6th, 7th (Russian RT took a break around the 7th?), or 19th – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas 

On Christmas? – www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v19/n05/wendy-doniger/lighting-up-time

adc.org/icymi-jesus-is-palestinian-adcs-christmas-billboard-series-sparks-national-debate-on-christianity-and-free-speech/

www.rt.com/news/630023-gaza-war-christmas-celebration/

Later in January :  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distaff_Day (January 7th) and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plough_Monday (on the 12th in 2026?)

January 6th the waning Moon was under three degrees from the relatively bright star Regulus in Leo (they will be 1/2 a degree apart at 12pm EST).  I saw it early on the foggy morning of the 7th.  To be repeated March 1st and 29th (there will be an occultation March 1st, viewed from Asia).

Venus was in superior conjunction with the Sun, and therefore hidden for us, January 6th (at 12pm EST).

Sky and Telescope:  The "latest onset of morning twilight" was January 7th; the "latest sunrise at latitude 40 degrees north" was January 4th.

Mars was in conjunction with the Sun and therefore hidden for us January 9th (technically, at 7am EST). 

The Moon was 5 1/2 degrees from the relatively bright star Spica in Virgo the morning of the 10th and they will be much closer on February 6th.

Very bright planet Jupiter will came to opposition January 10th (technically, at 4am EST).  Apparently people with exceptional vision and dark, clear skies have seen Jupiter's four large Galilean moons without optical aids.  Just before dawn on the 8th? the bright summer star Vega was fading from view, the waning Moon was still relatively high in the west, and I could still see bright Jupiter far to the west, about to be hidden by a young loblolly pine woods.   

The last quarter Moon was January 10th (technically, at 10:48am EST). 

The Moon's apogee was January 13th (technically, at 3:47pm EST).  

In the morning on January 14th a thin crescent Moon was about three degrees from the bright reddish star Antares, in Scorpius (closest, at 3pm EST).  Viewed from Australia the Moon occulted Antares (the USA won't see such a sight again until May 10th of the fateful (?) 2028).  They will be close again on March 10th.  I could see the Moon only on January 14th, though it didn't seem to be very cloudy, but the Moon, part of Scorpius, and Spica on the 15th.

Neptune moved from Aquarius into Pisces January 15th.   

January's New Moon was on the 18th (at 2:52pm EST).

Dim Comet Wierzchos in mid-February in the southwest in the evening; it reached perihelion January 20th.  Closest to the Earth on the 18th?  The Comet will never to return? 

The traditional Aquarius period begins around January 20th.  R.H. Allen on the constellation:  penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Aquarius*.html  

In the sky the Sun actually 'enters' the constellation Capricornus, from Sagittarius, around January 19th. 

Mercury was in superior conjunction with the Sun by January 21st (around 11am EST).

Pluto was in conjunction with the Sun January 23rd (around 5am EST).

The Moon appeared about four degrees from Saturn (around 8am EST) and about four degrees from Neptune to the north (around 11am EST) on the 23rd.  

The asteroid Nysa was at opposition January 23rd (at 12pm EST).  The German-French astronomer Hermann Goldschmidt discovered 44 Nysa (he also discovered 21 Lutetia, 40 Harmonia, 41 Daphne, 45 Eugenia, etc. – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/44_Nysa and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Goldschmidt

The first quarter Moon was January 25th (at 11:47pm EST). 

The Moon appeared about five degrees from Uranus (south of the Pleiades) January 27th (at about 2pm EST). 

The asteroid Vesta was in conjunction with the Sun January 28th (around 3pm EST). 

The Moon reached perigee again January 29th (at 4:46pm EST). 

The waxing Moon was under two degrees from the Pleiades star cluster (M45) in Taurus the evening of January 27th.  

The night of Friday, January 30th the Moon was again in conjunction with yellowish Jupiter; they will appear to be closest at 10pm EST (Astronomy magazine says that their separation was four degrees at 9pm).  The Moon moves by about its own diameter against the stars each hour and its movement was revealed through the night (from around dusk to midnight to 4am), by its changing position next to the bright planet and the bright stars Castor and Pollux in the zodiac constellation of Gemini.  Jupiter has been near the relatively dim star Wasat ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Geminorum ).  It was cloudy, but I could see the Moon (only) around 8pm.