Night Sky Tonight: What to See This Week

~2 min
Topics:Skywatching
Night Sky Tonight: What to See This Week
©Vito Technology

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.

Contents

Sky Events Tonight: October 24

  • Main astronomy events tonight: Moon near Neptune; Leonis Minorid meteor shower peak; Moon near Saturn.
  • Moon phase tonight: Waxing Gibbous. Details: Moon Phase Calendar
  • 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 24-30, 2026

DateEventBest timeEquipment
October 24Moon near NeptuneEvening/nightTelescope
October 24Leonis Minorids peakLate night/before dawnNaked eye
October 24Moon near SaturnEvening/nightNaked eye/telescope
October 25Moon, Saturn & Algenib triangleEvening/nightNaked eye
October 26Full MoonEvening/nightNaked eye
October 26–27Mars, Beehive Cluster, Jupiter & Regulus lineBefore dawnNaked eye/binoculars
October 28Moon near UranusLate evening/nightBinoculars/telescope
October 28Moon near AldebaranLate evening/nightNaked eye
October 27–28Moon near the PleiadesLate evening/nightNaked eye/binoculars
October 27–28Lunar occultation of the Pleiades22:07–03:29 GMT (global time)Binoculars/telescope
October 29–30Moon, Aldebaran & Betelgeuse triangleLate evening/early morningNaked 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.

October 24: Leonis Minorid meteor shower peak; Moon near Neptune and Saturn

Night Sky on October 24, 2026: Leonis Minorids Meteor Shower
The Leonis Minorids peak on October 24, but this year they’ll be a challenge. Even under ideal conditions, the shower produces only about two meteors per hour, and the bright waxing gibbous Moon will make the few visible meteors even harder to catch. The radiant lies in Leo Minor and is best placed from the Northern Hemisphere; no equipment is needed, but a dark site and plenty of patience will help.
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Night Sky on October 24, 2026: Moon near Neptune and Saturn
On the same evening, the bright waxing gibbous Moon will pass through Pisces with Neptune and Saturn nearby. Saturn will be easy to spot with the naked eye, while distant Neptune will require a telescope — and the Moon’s glare will make the faint planet especially challenging. The three objects will remain in the same part of the sky for much of the night, making Saturn the obvious guide and Neptune the tougher target.
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October 25: Moon, Saturn, and Algenib form a triangle

Night Sky on October 25, 2026: Moon, Saturn, and Algenib
The almost full Moon, Saturn, and Algenib from Pegasus will form a large triangle in the sky*. *From New Zealand and parts of the South Pacific, the shape will look especially close to an equilateral triangle, with each side spanning roughly 15° — about one and a half fists at arm’s length. Elsewhere, the sides will be less equal as the Moon’s apparent position changes with location and time. All three objects are easy to see with the naked eye; the pattern is too wide to fit comfortably into binoculars or a telescope.
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October 26: Full Moon

Night Sky on October 26, 2026: Full Hunter’s Moon
The Full Hunter’s Moon will light up the sky on October 26, reaching full phase at 04:12 GMT in Aries. For the most dramatic view, catch it near moonrise: low above the horizon, the Moon can look especially large and take on a warm orange tint. It will appear nearly full from October 25 through October 27, so there’s more than one good night to enjoy it.
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October 26–27: the Beehive Cluster, Mars, Jupiter, and Regulus form a line

Night Sky on October 26–27, 2026: the Beehive Cluster, Mars, Jupiter, and Regulus
Before dawn, look east for an almost straight celestial chain stretching from Cancer into Leo: the Beehive Cluster, Mars, Jupiter, and Regulus will line up across the sky. Mars will sit roughly halfway between the cluster and Jupiter, with Regulus extending the line. Mars, Jupiter, and Regulus are easy to see with the naked eye, while binoculars will help bring out the Beehive Cluster. The lineup will appear higher from the Northern Hemisphere, though observers in the Southern Hemisphere can see it too, lower above the eastern horizon.
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October 28: Moon near the Pleiades, Uranus, and Aldebaran

Night Sky on October 28, 2026: Moon, Pleiades, Uranus, and Aldebaran
The waning gibbous Moon will travel through Taurus, where the Pleiades, Uranus, and bright orange Aldebaran are all gathered nearby. The Moon and Aldebaran are easy to locate, while Uranus and the Pleiades will require binoculars or a small telescope — and the bright Moon may make them especially tricky to pick out.
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Night Sky on October 27–28, 2026: Moon Occults the Pleiades
From many locations, the Moon won’t just pass near the Pleiades — it will move directly across the cluster, hiding its stars one by one behind the lunar disk. The best nighttime views will be from much of Europe and parts of North Africa, the Middle East, and eastern North America. Farther east in Asia, dawn or daylight may prevent observations.* *Binoculars or a small telescope will let you watch individual Pleiades stars disappear and reappear along the Moon’s edge.
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October 29–30: Moon, Aldebaran, and Betelgeuse form a triangle

Night Sky on October 29–30, 2026: Moon, Aldebaran, and Betelgeuse
Late on October 29 and before dawn on October 30, the waning gibbous Moon, Aldebaran, and Betelgeuse will form a large triangle across Taurus and Orion. From parts of Europe, Africa, and South Asia, the Moon will appear almost equally far from the two bright orange-red stars, creating a nearly isosceles triangle. The trio is easy to see with the naked eye, and the shape will slowly change as the Moon moves eastward through the night.
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Night Sky Tonight: Bottom Line

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.

Want to plan beyond the dates listed here? Check the full monthly calendar of astronomical events in October 2026.

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Topics:Skywatching
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