Looking for what to see in the sky this week? This guide highlights the upcoming astronomical events. Scroll down for sky maps and viewing tips, and use the Sky Tonight app to check when and where each object will appear in your sky.
Planets visible tonight: Evening — Saturn and Neptune; late evening to dawn — Uranus; before dawn — Mars and Jupiter. Mercury and Venus are visible after sunset mainly from the Southern Hemisphere. Details: Planets Visible Tonight
Constellations visible tonight: Northern Hemisphere — Aquarius, Pegasus, Cepheus, Lacerta, Piscis Austrinus, and, from lower northern latitudes, Grus; Southern Hemisphere — Aquarius, Piscis Austrinus, Grus, and Octans. Details: Constellations in October 2026
Upcoming Astronomical Events: October 3-9, 2026
Date
Event
Best time
Equipment
October 2–3
Moon, Aldebaran & Betelgeuse triangle
Late evening/early morning
Naked eye
October 4
Saturn at opposition
All night
Naked eye/telescope
October 4
Moon near Pollux
Late night/before dawn
Naked eye
October 5
Moon near Mars
Before dawn
Naked eye
October 5
Lunar occultation of Mars
05:07–07:15 GMT (global time)
Binoculars/telescope
October 5
Moon near the Beehive Cluster
Before dawn
Binoculars
October 5
Lunar occultation of the Beehive Cluster
09:16–14:11 GMT (global time)
Binoculars/telescope
October 5–7
Venus near Mercury
After sunset
Naked eye/binoculars
October 5–6
October Camelopardalids peak
Night
Naked eye
October 6
Moon near Jupiter
Before dawn
Naked eye
October 6
Lunar occultation of Jupiter
08:14–12:32 GMT (global time)
Binoculars/telescope
October 7
Moon near Regulus
Before dawn
Naked eye
October 7
Lunar occultation of Regulus
01:14–05:04 GMT (global time)
Binoculars/telescope
October 8–9
Draconids peak
Evening
Naked eye
Below, you’ll find sky events arranged by date, with quick viewing tips to help you choose the best nights for stargazing. All dates are listed in GMT, so the exact calendar date may differ in your local time zone; however, the times shown on the sky maps are given in local time.
October 2–3: Moon, Aldebaran, and Betelgeuse form a triangle
The Moon, Aldebaran, and Betelgeuse will form a large, striking triangle in the sky, with the two bright orange-red stars appearing on opposite sides of the Moon. The pattern will look especially close to an equilateral triangle late on October 2 and before dawn on October 3. The best view will be from East and Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. All three objects are easy to see with the naked eye.
October 4: Saturn at opposition; Pollux near the Moon
Saturn reaches opposition on October 4, making this one of the best nights of the year to observe the ringed planet. It will rise around sunset, stay visible all night, and climb highest around midnight, shining brightly in Cetus. Saturn is easy to spot with the naked eye, but a telescope will reveal its rings and, under good conditions, Titan and some of its fainter moons.
In the second half of the night, look for the waning crescent Moon close to Pollux, the bright yellow-orange star in Gemini. The pair will make an easy naked-eye sight. Binoculars can make the view more impressive, but they aren’t necessary.
October 5: Mars near the Moon; Beehive near the Moon; Venus near Mercury
Before dawn, look low in the eastern sky for the waning crescent Moon shining close to reddish Mars. The pair will be easy to recognize, with Mars appearing as a steady orange point near the delicate crescent. Both objects are visible to the naked eye, and binoculars will make the view even nicer.
For observers in northern Canada, the close encounter becomes even more dramatic: the Moon will pass directly in front of Mars and briefly hide the Red Planet from view. This will be the first lunar occultation of Mars since February 2026. Watch before dawn; binoculars or a telescope will give the best view of Mars disappearing behind the lunar edge and reappearing a little later.
The Moon will also pass close to the Beehive Cluster, a soft patch of stars in Cancer. Look for the scene late at night and toward dawn, when the Moon, Mars, and the cluster gather in the same part of the sky. The Moon is easy to see with the naked eye, while binoculars are the best way to bring out the Beehive’s scattered stars.
As the Moon moves across Cancer, it will pass through the Beehive Cluster and cover some of its stars. This is a lovely telescopic or binocular event, as the cluster’s faint points of light will seem to wink out one by one behind the lunar disk. The occultation will be best seen from North America.
After sunset, look low above the western horizon for brilliant Venus close to much fainter Mercury. The two planets will make a beautiful pairing in evening twilight and will stay near each other for several days. This event is best seen from the Southern Hemisphere, where both planets stand higher in the sky, but observers at low northern latitudes may still catch them with a very clear horizon.
October 6: October Camelopardalids meteor shower peak; Jupiter near the Moon
The October Camelopardalids are a small meteor shower, producing only 5 meteors per hour, but conditions are quite good this year. The radiant in Camelopardalis stays above the horizon all night from much of the Northern Hemisphere, and the waning Moon won’t spoil the dark sky. No equipment is needed — just find the darkest spot you can and give your eyes some time to adjust.
Before dawn, look for brilliant Jupiter almost touching the thin crescent Moon in Leo. At their closest, the two will be separated by only a tiny fraction of a degree, making this one of the most eye-catching Moon–planet encounters of the month. Both are impossible to miss with the naked eye, while binoculars may also reveal Jupiter’s four bright Galilean moons.
From parts of the Americas and Africa, the encounter becomes even more spectacular as the Moon passes directly in front of Jupiter and briefly hides the giant planet from view. The occultation takes place while the sky is still dark or in twilight across some of the visibility zone. Watch the moments when Jupiter slips behind the lunar edge and later pops back into view — binoculars or a telescope will make the disappearance especially striking.
Before dawn, look toward Leo to see the thin waning crescent Moon passing very close to Regulus, the constellation’s brightest star. At closest approach, the two will be separated by only about half a degree, so they’ll make a beautifully tight pair that is easy to spot with the naked eye. Binoculars will make the contrast between the slender Moon and blue-white Regulus even more striking.
From the eastern part of Africa, the close approach turns into an occultation: the Moon will pass directly in front of Regulus and briefly hide the star from view. With binoculars or a telescope, you can watch Regulus suddenly disappear behind the Moon and then return a little later.
The Draconids peak on the night of October 8–9, and this year the sky will be almost completely free of moonlight — a perfect setup for catching their slow, graceful meteors. Unlike most meteor showers, the Draconids are best watched in the evening and early night, when their radiant in Draco stands high in the northern sky. Expect a modest show of around five meteors per hour, but even the fainter streaks should be easier to see under the dark 2026 sky. No equipment is needed — just find a dark place, get comfortable, and look up.
There is almost always something worth seeing in the night sky. Use this guide to choose the best events for tonight and the coming days, but remember that visibility depends on your location, local time, weather, and light pollution. For the most accurate view, check the exact position of each object in the Sky Tonight app before you go outside.
