Give Yourself, Your Children, and Grandchildren Astronomical and Out of This World Experiences in 2026: When and Where To See Meteor Showers, Solar and Lunar Eclipses, Northern Lights, and More
- Mema
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Meteor showers, solar and lunar eclipses, northern lights, and a rocket launch are some of the astronomical events worth an adventure for you, with your children, with your grandchildren in 2026. Some are close to home and some are planning an adventure, so see if you can make at least one to see, and give yourself, your children and grandchildren an out of this world experience in 2026.
FEBRUARY 2026
ARTEMIS II LAUNCH: BEST FEBRUARY 6, 2026 (OR 7 OR 8) or March to April 2026 *KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA
What is the Artemis II launch:
Artemis II is a major upcoming NASA crewed lunar space mission — the first time humans will travel beyond low-Earth orbit and do a flyby around the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. It’s also the first crewed flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. From Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Where to see in North America:
Go to Florida’s Space Coast, near Kennedy Space Center,Cape Canaveral, Florida and make it a vacation to enjoy the Florida sunshine and the beaches. It was named one of the best places to visit in 2025 by Conde Nast, with its kayaking and water sports, wildlife refuges and old style Florida beach towns.
When:
Scheduled earliest: February 6, 2026.
*Don’t build up your hopes that it will occur exactly on February 6, 2026, the earliest date scheduled, and build in extra days. Florida weather in February may shift the schedule or technical concerns as well, and the mission can be aborted down to the last second.
If you’re planning to watch it live from Florida or follow the live NASA webcast, the exact launch date and time window will be confirmed closer to liftoff as preparations and technical readiness continue.
ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE FEBRUARY 17, 2026 ANTARCTICA, PARTIALLY AFRICA AND SOUTH AMERICA
What is the Annular Solar Eclipse
An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun but is too far from Earth to completely cover the Sun’s disk. This creates a bright “ring of fire” around the Moon at maximum eclipse.
Where to travel: Antarctica. Partially visible in Africa and southern South America
When: February 17, 2026
Visible: Mainly over Antarctica and the southern parts of the Southern Ocean. Only a very narrow region in Antarctica sees the full annular eclipse.
Not visible: Not observable as a ring in most populated areas on Earth. Not Northern Hemisphere.
Partial solar eclipse visible: Much of Antarctica
Southern tip of South America (e.g., Patagonia in Argentina/Chile)
Southern Africa, including parts of South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, etc.
Surrounding Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, and Southern oceans.
MARCH 2026
TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE MARCH 3, 2026 WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN, EASTERN ASIA AND AUSTRALIA
What is a Total Lunar Eclipse
A total lunar eclipse happens when the Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, causing Earth’s shadow to fully cover the Moon. During totality, the Moon often takes on a reddish color — sometimes called a “Blood Moon”— because sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere bends onto the lunar surface.
This one is one of the few total lunar eclipses in 2026, and for many regions it will be the only total lunar eclipse visible that year.
When: Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Totality (full eclipse): Lasts about 58 minutes as the Moon is completely inside Earth’s darkest shadow.
Where to See: North America, Eastern Asia and Austrailia
Best Overall Viewing Cities in North America (Excellent visibility & long totality)
These locations will see the entire eclipse from start to finish:
Los Angeles, California — Entire eclipse visible high in the sky; mild seasonal weather.
San Francisco, California — Full view, excellent west coast vantage.
Vancouver, British Columbia — Great visibility; eclipse occurs late evening local time.
Seattle, Washington — Entire eclipse visible; check for cloud cover typical for March.
Phoenix, Arizona — Excellent weather odds and full eclipse view.
Las Vegas, Nevada — Very high chance of clear skies and full totality visible.
Visibility Across North America
Western North America (e.g., Pacific Coast, Southwest U.S., western Canada): You’ll see the entire eclipse — from the partial stages, through the full totality, and the ending — with the Moon high in the sky before sunrise.
Central Areas (e.g., Midwest U.S., central Canada): You’ll also catch most or all of the total eclipse, though it will be getting lower toward sunrise.
Eastern North America (e.g., Eastern U.S., eastern Canada): The Moon will be setting during totality — you’ll see the eclipse begin and part of the total phase, but the Moon will dip below the horizon before the event ends.
SPRING EQUINOX AURORAS MARCH 20, 2026 NORTHERN SCANDINAVIA ICELAND NORTHERN CANADA NORTHERN UNITED STATES
What are Spring Equinox Auroras
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky, usually seen near the earth’s polar regions. Colors you might see are green (most common, oxygen), red (high altitude oxygen, and blue or purple (nitrogen). They can look like waves, curtains, or dancing ribbons of light moving across the sky.
Spring Equinox Auroras refers to enhanced chances of seeing aurora displays (especially the Northern Lights / Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere) around the March 20, 2026 spring equinox. The spring equinox is when the Sun crosses Earth’s equator, giving nearly equal day and night around the globe, around March 20 each year.
When: March 20, 2026
Where
Best North American Locations
United States — Highest Odds
Alaska (BEST in the U.S.): Fairbanks and Interior Alaska
Northern Lower 48 States
Northern Washington & Idaho
Montana & North Dakota
Minnesota & Wisconsin
Upper Michigan
Maine (especially farther north)
Northern parts of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire (lower probability, but possible under stronger conditions)
Canada (Very High Probability)
Yukon (e.g., Dawson City)
Northwest Territories (e.g., Yellowknife — sometimes called “Aurora Capital of
Northern Manitoba & Nunavut
AUGUST 2026
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE AUGUST 12, 2026 THE EVENT OF THE YEAR: GREENLAND, ICELAND AND NORTHERN SPAIN, PARTIAL NORTH AMERICA
What is a Total Solar Eclipse
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the Sun’s bright disk for observers in a narrow path on Earth. During totality, daytime briefly turns to twilight, and the Sun’s outer atmosphere (the corona) becomes visible.
This is the event of the year. A total solar eclipse – when the moon completely obscures the sun – will sweep across Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain, plunging midday into darkness. It’s the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999. In parts of Spain and Iceland, it’s the first such event in many decades — and for Iceland, not seen again in this century.
When: August 12, 2026
Where the Total Eclipse Is Visible (Path of Totality)
Arctic region / Northern Siberia
Greenland
Iceland
Northern Spain
Balearic Islands
North America: Partial Solar Eclipse
A partial solar eclipse means a portion of the Sun will be covered by the Moon, but the Sun will not go completely dark:
Visible from:
Canada — especially northern and eastern parts.
Alaska — partial coverage will be seen.
Northeastern United States — partial eclipse visible (smaller coverage than Canada).
Central U.S. & farther south — lower partial coverage or may be difficult to notice without protective viewing.
Large cities like New York City will experience only a small bite taken out of the Sun (about ~9 % coverage around maximum) — more subtle than totality.
AND if you are into astrology, take a look at this, “What Does the 2026 Solar Eclipse Mean for Your Star Sign? by Emma Howarth, Conde Nast Traveler, January 5, 2026
PERSEID METEOR SHOWER: AUGUST 12–13, 2026 NORTH AMERICA, CHECK OUT ALL OF THE LISTED NATIONAL PARKS
What is the Perseid Meteor Shower
The Perseid Meteor Shower is one of the most popular and visually impressive annual meteor showers. They occur when Earth passes through the debris trail left by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle — tiny dust and rock particles that burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, producing bright “shooting stars.” The meteors appear to radiate from the direction of the constellation Perseus in the northern sky.
The Perseids are summer’s great celestial show, with dozens of fast, bright meteors streaking across night skies every hour.
When?
Peak Night: Night of August 12–13, 2026 — this is when the highest number of meteors per hour are expected.
Best Time: Late evening through the early pre-dawn hours — typically around midnight to 4 AM local time, when the radiant is highest in the sky and meteor rates are strongest.
North America
Western U.S.
Death Valley National Park, California
Joshua Tree National Park, California
Great Basin National Park, Nevada
Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah
Central & Northern Plains / Rockies
Glacier National Park, Montana
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Colorado.
Eastern U.S.
Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania
Acadia National Park, Maine
Staunton River State Park, Virginia
Canada’s Best Viewing Areas
Jasper National Park, Alberta
Point Pelee National Park, Ontario
Torrance Barrens Dark Sky Preserve, Ontario
NORTHERN LIGHTS: BEGINNING AUGUST 2026, BEST OCTOBER AND MARCH 2026 ALASKA AND MICHIGAN
What are the Northern Lights:
The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are colorful sky glows caused by charged particles from the sun hitting Earth’s magnetic field—most visible at high latitudes near the Arctic but occasionally visible much farther south during strong geomagnetic activity. The solar peak for the Aurora Borealis continues into 2026.
Where to see in North America:
(1) Fairbanks, Alaska
Even though you can see the aurora from Fairbanks better to go outside city.
When: Late Aug – Apr (best Oct – Mar)
Peak hours: ~10 PM – 2 AM
Where: Top spots near Fairbanks: Cleary Summit, Murphy Dome, Chena Lake, Haystack Mountain
(2) Upper Peninsula, Michigan
When: Late summer → spring, peaking around equinox months (March and October) Tip: Come in the fall to see leaves change too.
Peak Hours: 10 PM–2 AM.
Where: Top spots in the U.P.: Keweenaw Dark Sky Park & Copper Harbor, Rocks National Lakeshore, Marquette, Munising shoreline areas, Drummond Island, Brimley, Whitefish Point
See articles for more information:
DECEMBER 2026
GEMINID METEOR SHOWER PEAK: December 13–14, 2026 WORLDWIDE BEST IN NORTH AMERICA
What is the Geminid Meteor Shower
The Geminid Meteor Shower is a major annual meteor shower that occurs every December as Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon — unusual because most showers come from comets.
When
Peak Night: Overnight December 13 to 14, 2026.
The shower is active for several nights before and after, but the highest rates are on the peak night.
Where
Visible Worldwide: Geminids can be seen from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Best Viewing: Generally clearer and more frequent in the Northern Hemisphere, but the southern skies are also good after local midnight away from city lights, potentially hundreds of streaks visible per hour under dark skies.
North America
Visible all across North America, both Northern and Southern regions.
Northern U.S. and Canada: Meteors will be higher in the sky, making them easier to see.
Southern U.S./Mexico: Best after local midnight when Gemini climbs higher.
Peak Timing for North America
Eastern (EST/UTC–5): ~12:44 AM on Dec 14
Central (CST/UTC–6): ~11:44 PM on Dec 13
Mountain (MST/UTC–7): ~10:44 PM on Dec 13
Pacific (PST/UTC–8): ~9:44 PM on Dec 13
PLAN 2026 TRAVEL NOW! I have two viewings in the works already.
Meteor showers, solar and lunar eclipses, northern lights, and a rocket launch are some of the astronomical events worth an adventure for you, with your children, with your grandchildren in 2026. Some are close to home and some are planning an adventure, so see if you can make at least one to see, and give yourself, your children and grandchildren an out of this world experience, with
Joy,
Mema
