What the Planets are doing this month
January 2026
Mercury. Tiny mercury rises one hour before the Sun at the start
of the month but as it is on its way back to superior conjunction with
the Sun on the 22nd it will be quickly lost in the early morning
twilight. This is not a good month to observe the inner planet as even
at its greatest elongation east of the Sun on the 19th it will set only
forty minutes later than the Sun and hard to spot in the western evening
twilight.
Venus
and 
Mars. Too close to sun for observation this month for both these
planets. Venus is in superior conjunction with the Sun on the 6th as it
passes into the evening sky and Mars on the 9th as it passes into the
morning sky.
Jupiter. The largest of the planets rises around
8:45pm at the start of the month but by the end of the month will breach
the eastern horizon at 6:30pm. It spends the entire month in Gemini and
on the 19th has a close conjunction with delta Geminorum, (Wasat), a
creamy white star of magnitude 3.5 at a distance of 59 light years. It
has a magnitude 8.1 orange dwarf companion, the pair orbiting a common
gravitational center with a period of 1200 years. Clyde Tombaugh
discovered Pluto close to this star in 1930 when the two were just over
half a degree apart. He used a "blink comparator" comparing photographic
plates taken on January 23rd and January 29th. On the 3rd the full Moon
passes eight degrees to the north of Jupiter.
Saturn. High in the north-western sky just after sunset, Saturn begins
the year in Aquarius just over the border of Pisces. Now experiencing
prograde motion against the background stars it will cross into Pisces
on the 16th of the month. It will set just after midnight at the
beginning of the month but by the end of the month will be setting
around 10:30pm. It moves ever closer to the ice giant Neptune and by the
end of the month they will be separated by less than two degrees. The
waxing crescent Moon will be located four degrees to the south-west of
Saturn on January 23rd.
Moon Phase for January 2026
3rd 
11th 
19th 
26th
February 2026
Mercury. This small planet returns the evening sky this month but
even at its greatest elongation east of the Sun on the 19th it will set
only 44 minutes later than the Sun and hard to spot in the evening
twilight. On this date the three day old waxing crescent Moon sits three
degrees to the east of Mercury.
Venus. The brightest of the planets also
returns to the western evening sky this month but it also, at its
greatest elongation east of the Sun at the end of the month will set
only forty minutes later than the Sun. Probably better to wait until
later next month when it will be much higher in the west after the Sun
has set.
Mars. Having just moved into the morning
sky a few weeks ago, Mars is too close to the Sun for observation this
month. It will be better by the end of March when it will rise almost
ninety minutes before the Sun.
Jupiter. At the onset of February Jupiter
rises around 6:30pm and by sunset will be high in the north eastern sky
in an ideal position for observation. However by the end of the month it
will rise two hours earlier. At magnitude -2.5 Jupiter is the brightest
object in Gemini at the moment, much brighter magnitude 1.1 Pollux. This
star is an orange giant 36.1 light years away and the colour contrast
between it and Jupiter is quite obvious. Jupiter is still retrograding
in Gemini where it is joined by the waxing gibbous Moon on the 27th of
the month.
Saturn. This spectacular ringed planet sets two and a half hours
later than the Sun at the beginning of the month but by the end of
February will set only one hour later than the Sun. Saturn will be in
close conjunction with the ice giant Neptune on the 22nd and for a few
days either side of this date less than one degree will separate the
pair. The three day old crescent Moon sits seven degrees to the north of
Saturn on the 20th of the month.
Moon Phase for February 2026
3rd 11th 19th
26th
March 2026
Mercury. This small inner planet has finished its stint in the
western evening sky and after inferior conjunction with the Sun on the
7th of the month returns to the early morning twilight reaching its
greatest elongation west of the Sun on the 4th of April. It spends the
last half of the month in Aquarius where it has a brief encounter with
Mars on the 15th and 16th when the pair will be three and a half degrees
apart. Although they both have a distinct red tinge about them, Mars
will be a full magnitude brighter than Mercury. This will be a great
month to observe Mercury as by the end of the month it will rise a full
two hours earlier than the Sun.
Venus.
Very low in the western evening sky at the beginning of the month, Venus
will have a close encounter with Neptune on the 7th and also with Saturn
on the 9th. It will set a little later than the Sun as the month
progresses and by the end of the month will set one hour later than the
Sun regaining once again its title as the "Evening Star". On the 21st
the thin crescent of the two day old waxing Moon sits thirteen degrees
to the north of the planet.
Mars. The red planet spends the month in the early morning sky in
Aquarius rising one hour before the Sun at the start of the month but by
the end of the month it will rise ninety minutes earlier than the Sun.
The waning crescent Moon sits within two degrees of Mars on the 18th of
March.
Jupiter. By the time the Sun has set at the beginning of March Jupiter
will be high in the northern sky nestled between the bodies of the
Gemini twins. At magnitude -2.5 it is by far the brightest object in
this part of the sky until it is joined by the first quarter Moon on the
26th. The two bright stars of Gemini Caster and Pollux sit ten degrees
to the north east of Jupiter. Pollux, distinguishable by its orange glow
lies at a distance of 36 light years is the closest giant star to the
Sun and at magnitude 1.1 is the brighter of the two. Caster on the other
hand appears as a blue-white star 51 light years away but it is an
astounding multiple star consisting of six separate components.
Saturn. Only visible low in the western twilight for the first few days
of March as Saturn will reach conjunction with the Sun on the 26th of
the month. It then returns to the early morning twilight but not easily
observed until the latter part of April.
Moon Phase for March 2026
3rd
(Total Lunar Eclipse) 11th
19th
26th
Total Lunar Eclipse Times March 3rd
Penumbral Phase Starts 6:44pm AEDT Partial Phase Starts
8:50pm EADT
Totality Begins 10:04pm AEDT Max 10:33pm
AEDT Totality Ends 11:02pm EADT
Partial Phase Ends 12:18am AEDT March 4th
April - May 2026
Mercury,
Mars,
Saturn. Mid April finds Mercury rising 90 minutes before the Sun.
On its journey back toward conjunction with the Sun on May 15th it will
form a close conjunction with Saturn and Mars on April 21st. On this day
it will be less than one degree from Saturn and less than two degrees
from Mars. On this morning the three planets will rise together around
90 minutes before the Sun in the early morning twilight. As the months
progress Saturn will rise higher in the early morning sky and by the end
of May will rise over four hours before the Sun. Mars will also rise
higher into the dawn sky and by the end of May will rise over two hours
prior to the Sun. By this time Mercury will have entered the evening sky
and will be setting one hour later than the Sun.
Venus
and
Jupiter. The brightest of the planets, Venus can also be found in
the western evening sky setting 90 minutes later than the Sun at the end
of April but by the end of May will set two and a half hours later than
the Sun. The giant planet Jupiter starts April low in the western
evening sky after sunset, still idling around in the constellation of
the twins. At the end of April will set around 10:00pm but by the end of
May will be setting two hours earlier, just after 8:00pm. On the 20th of
April And the 22nd of May a crescent waxing Moon joins Venus and Jupiter
in the western evening sky.
2nd 10th 17th 24th
Moon Phase for May 2026
1st
10th 17th 23rd 31st
June 202-
Mercury.
Venus.
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
Moon Phase for June 2026
8th
15th 22nd 30th
July 202-
Mercury.
Venus
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
Moon Phase for July 2026
8th
14th 21st 30th
August 202-
Mercury.
Venus
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
Moon Phase for August 2026
6th
13th 20th 28th
September 202-
Mercury.
Venus.
Mars.
Jupiter.
-
Saturn.
Moon Phase for September 2026
4th
11th 19th 27th
October 202-
Mercury
Venus.
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
Moon Phase for October 2026
3rd
11th 19th 26th
November 202-
Mercury
Venus.
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
Moon Phase for November 2026
2nd 9th
17th 25th
December 202-
Mercury
Venus
Mars.
Jupiter.
Saturn.
Moon Phase for Dec 2026
1st 9
th 17th 24th 31st