A Stellar Year Ahead for Canary Islands Skies
The year 2026 will be marked by a total solar eclipse on 12th August, which will not be visible from the Canary Islands except with 70% partial coverage, alongside the arrival of new comets, meteor showers, and other fascinating astronomical events. This is according to the traditional calendar for the new year published by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC).
Highlights of the Celestial Calendar
In a statement, the IAC announced that the new year offers unmissable dates for astronomy enthusiasts, such as the Quadrantid meteor shower on 3rd January—though on this occasion, it will have poor visibility as it coincides with the full moon. Among the most notable events is the solar eclipse of 12th August, which in the Canary archipelago will be observable with a magnitude of between 66% and 74% and will be total across part of the Iberian Peninsula.
Furthermore, the calendar points out more singular phenomena like the Blue Moon on 31st May (the second full moon in a single month) and the Black Moon on 15th June (the month with the smallest full moon of the year). On 24th December, we will close the annual cycle with a Supermoon, which will be the largest full moon of 2026.
Planetary Alignments and Celestial Mechanics
In terms of celestial mechanics, the year will begin with Earth’s perihelion on 4th January, placing us 147 million kilometres from the Sun, while aphelion will occur on 6th July at a distance of 152 million kilometres. The spring and autumn equinoxes will take place on 20th March and 23rd September respectively, marking the seasonal changes alongside the summer solstice (21st June) and winter solstice (21st December).
The planets will also take centre stage with various configurations: Jupiter will reach opposition on 10th January, Saturn on 4th October, and Uranus on 25th November. Notable planetary alignments and conjunctions are also forecast, highlighting the Saturn-Neptune conjunction on 20th February and various morning and evening alignments of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn throughout the months of March, May, August, and November.
Comets, Meteor Showers and a Call for Dark Skies
The tracking of minor bodies will be another point of interest, especially with the closest approach to Earth of comet C/2025 R31-053 on 27th April, following its perihelion on the 20th of the same month. The meteor showers will keep their usual appointments, with the Perseids peaking on 12th August and the Geminids on 13th December, both with good expected visibility conditions.
In short, as announced by the IAC, 2026 presents itself as a good year for astronomical observation, with an agenda full of events that will allow both professionals and enthusiasts to enjoy the richness of our firmament. From the privileged skies of the Canaries, the IAC invites society to continue discovering the Universe and to preserve the darkness of our nights.
A Captured Comet and a Stark Reminder
The IAC’s calendar is illustrated with a photograph of comet C/2025 AB (Lemmon) captured from the Teide Observatory, taken by astrophotographer Daniel López of ‘Cielos de Canarias’ and IAC astrophysicist and science communicator Alfred Rosenberg. This space traveller, a rock of ice and dust barely one kilometre in diameter, displayed a tail of more than 30 million kilometres, exceeding the size of our Sun by 20 times.
However, the photograph reveals another reality: a tangle of more than a thousand luminous trails belonging to the more than 13,000 satellites orbiting Earth are superimposed on the comet.
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