Eclipses, meteor showers and other sky events

The next two years of major events in the sky, with times in UTC and US Eastern Time (ET). Past events drop off this page automatically when the site rebuilds. Eclipse details come from NASA's eclipse tables by Fred Espenak, and meteor shower peaks from the International Meteor Organization (IMO). We computed Moon phases and planet events ourselves from JPL's DE440 ephemeris. How this was compiled.

✦ IN PLAIN ENGLISH · 30-SECOND TAKEAWAY

The Big Question

What are the biggest solar eclipses, meteor showers, and asteroid flybys coming up in 2026–2029?

✓ What Scientists Have Measured

Calculated directly from NASA eclipse tables, International Meteor Organization calendars. JPL's DE440 planetary ephemeris, with all times shown in both UTC and US Eastern Time.

⚖ Both Sides in Plain Words

Highlights include the moonless Geminids meteor shower peak (December 14, 2026), the 6-minute-22-second Total Solar Eclipse over Luxor and Spain (August 2, 2027). The 19,656-mile close pass of Asteroid Apophis (Friday, April 13, 2029).

★ Bottom Line

Bookmark this calendar for exact peak times and Moon phases. Past events drop off automatically each day so the schedule is always current.

Next up

Planets Mars–Jupiter close pairing
2026-11-16 02:04 UTC · Sun Nov 15, 2026 9:04 PM EST
72′ apart, 88° from the Sun.
Meteors Leonids meteor shower peak
2026-11-17 23:45 UTC · Tue Nov 17, 2026 6:45 PM EST
ZHR about 15; Moon 55% lit · 2026 viewing guide →
Planets Uranus at opposition
2026-11-25 22:41 UTC · Wed Nov 25, 2026 5:41 PM EST
Best time of year to see it: up all night, at its brightest.
Meteors Geminids meteor shower peak
2026-12-14 14:00 UTC · Mon Dec 14, 2026 9:00 AM EST
ZHR 150; Moon 25% lit · 2026 viewing guide →
Season December solstice
2026-12-21 20:50 UTC · Mon Dec 21, 2026 3:50 PM EST

FEATURED CLOSE APPROACH · 13 APRIL 2029 (21:46 UTC) In 894 days · 2029-04-13 21:46 UTC

13 April 2029: A 41-Million-Ton City-Killer Threading the Needle at 19,656 Miles (31,634 km)

At 5:46 p.m. EDT (21:46 UTC) on Friday, April 13, 2029, the 1,115-foot (340-meter) asteroid (99942) Apophis will skim just 19,656 miles (31,634 km) above the Atlantic Ocean. That is less than one-tenth the distance to the Moon. It also passes 2,580 miles (4,152 km) closer to Earth than our ring of geostationary weather and TV satellites (22,236 miles up). Goldstone radar proves Apophis will miss Earth safely on this pass. Still, a 41-million-ton rock at that speed carries 750 to 1,200 megatons of energy—enough to devastate an entire US state or European country if it ever hit.

Surface clearance (21:46 UTC) 19,656 mi (31,634 km) 23,620 mi (38,012 km) from geocenter—2,580 mi (4,152 km) inside the 22,236 mi (35,786 km) GEO satellite ring & 0.10 LD

Kinetic energy & mass (Sq-type) 750–1,200 Mt · ~41M Tons 1,115–1,230 ft (340–375 m) stony-iron rubble pile; 15–24× Tsar Bomba (state/country-scale blast if it hit)

Apparent magnitude & sky speed Mag +3.1 · 42°/hr Unaided-eye visibility across Europe, Africa & W. Asia under a 0.2%-lit New Moon (16,600 mph / 7.42 km/s at perigee)

100-Year Context: Closest Large Hazardous & ELE-Scale Asteroid Passes (1926–2029) — click to expand

From NASA/JPL CNEOS Close-Approach Database (1 Lunar Distance [LD] = 238,855 mi / 384,400 km). Note that three of the closest passes in the last century—1933's 1994 PC1, 1957's 2019 CD2, and 2001's 2017 VW13—were discovered 16 to 62 years after they had already buzzed the Earth unseen.

Date (UTC)	Asteroid	Est. Diameter & Class	Surface Clearance (Miles / km)	Geocentric (LD)	Flyby Speed
13 Apr 2029	99942 Apophis (2004 MN4)	340–375 m (1,115–1,230 ft) · Regional / State-killer (PHA)	19,656 mi (31,634 km) (2,580 mi below GEO)	0.10 LD (23,620 mi / 38,012 km)	16,600 mph (7.42 km/s)
1 Feb 1957	(2019 CD2) (found 62 yrs later)	~270–600 m (885–1,970 ft) · Regional-scale PHA	42,828 mi (68,925 km)	0.20 LD (46,791 mi / 75,303 km)	44,500 mph (19.90 km/s)
8 Nov 2001	(2017 VW13) (found 16 yrs later)	~200–450 m (655–1,475 ft) · Regional-scale PHA	70,702 mi (113,784 km)	0.31 LD (74,665 mi / 120,162 km)	25,440 mph (11.37 km/s)
26 Jun 2028	153814 (2001 WN5)	~930 m (3,050 ft / ~0.6 mi) · Continental / Global-threshold ELE	150,579 mi (242,333 km)	0.65 LD (154,542 mi / 248,711 km)	22,910 mph (10.24 km/s)
8 Nov 2011	308635 (2005 YU55)	~360 m (1,180 ft) · Regional / State-killer (PHA)	197,939 mi (318,553 km)	0.85 LD (201,903 mi / 324,931 km)	30,680 mph (13.72 km/s)
7 Aug 2027	137108 (1999 AN10)	~800–1,300 m (0.5–0.8 mi) · Global-threshold ELE	238,282 mi (383,477 km)	1.01 LD (242,245 mi / 389,855 km)	58,790 mph (26.28 km/s)
30 Oct 1937 & 26 Apr 1942	69230 Hermes (1937 UB)	~810 m binary (2,650 ft / 0.5 mi) · Continental / Global-threshold ELE	390,311 mi (628,145 km) (1942 pass)	1.65 LD (394,275 mi / 634,524 km)	41,340 mph (18.48 km/s)
26 Oct 2028	35396 (1997 XF11)	~1.3–2.0 km (0.8–1.2 mi) · True Global ELE	573,432 mi (922,850 km)	2.42 LD (577,395 mi / 929,228 km)	31,140 mph (13.92 km/s)
17 Jan 1933	7482 (1994 PC1) (found 61 yrs later)	~1.05 km (0.65 mi) · True Global ELE	695,324 mi (1,119,015 km)	2.93 LD (699,287 mi / 1,125,393 km)	44,250 mph (19.78 km/s)
29 Sep 2004	4179 Toutatis (1989 AC)	4.6 × 2.4 km (2.9 × 1.5 mi) · True Global ELE	958,798 mi (1,543,036 km)	4.03 LD (962,761 mi / 1,549,414 km)	24,600 mph (11.00 km/s)

Full Apophis 2029 evidence, impact physics & viewing guide → How close is 19,656 miles & what if it hit? → 100-year ELE & hazardous passes table →

Solar and lunar eclipses

Eye safety: never look directly at the Sun. Watch the partial phases of a solar eclipse only through eclipse glasses or viewers that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard. Lunar eclipses are safe to watch with the naked eye.

Eclipse	Greatest eclipse	Where it is visible	Notes
Annular solar eclipse Magnitude 0.928, central duration 7m51s	2027-02-06 15:59 UTC · Sat Feb 6, 2027 10:59 AM EST	South America, Antarctica, western and southern Africa Annular path: Chile, Argentina, Atlantic Not visible from the US East Coast.
Penumbral lunar eclipse Umbral magnitude -0.057	2027-02-20 23:12 UTC · Sat Feb 20, 2027 6:12 PM EST	Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia From New York the Moon is up at greatest eclipse (+6°).	Penumbral only: the Moon misses the dark umbra, so at most a faint shading is seen.
Penumbral lunar eclipse Umbral magnitude -1.068	2027-07-18 16:02 UTC · Sun Jul 18, 2027 12:02 PM EDT	eastern Africa, Asia, Australia, Pacific From New York the Moon is below the horizon at greatest eclipse (-68°).	Extremely shallow penumbral eclipse; no change will be visible to the eye.
Total solar eclipse Magnitude 1.079, central duration 6m23s	2027-08-02 10:06 UTC · Mon Aug 2, 2027 6:06 AM EDT	Africa, Europe, Middle East, western and southern Asia Total path: Morocco, Spain, Algeria, Libya, Egypt (Luxor), Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia Not visible from the US East Coast.	Greatest eclipse is over the Libyan/Egyptian desert; totality at Luxor lasts about 6 minutes, one of the longest of the century. Our sister site Truth in Stone covers ancient Egyptian sites, for example Giza and Dendera.
Penumbral lunar eclipse Umbral magnitude -0.525	2027-08-17 07:13 UTC · Tue Aug 17, 2027 3:13 AM EDT	Pacific, Americas From New York the Moon is up at greatest eclipse (+28°).	Penumbral only: the Moon misses the dark umbra, so at most a faint shading is seen.
Partial lunar eclipse Umbral magnitude 0.066; partial phase 56 min	2028-01-12 04:13 UTC · Tue Jan 11, 2028 11:13 PM EST	Americas, Europe, Africa From New York the Moon is up at greatest eclipse (+69°).
Annular solar eclipse Magnitude 0.921, central duration 10m27s	2028-01-26 15:07 UTC · Wed Jan 26, 2028 10:07 AM EST	eastern North America, Central and South America, western Europe, northwest Africa Annular path: Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Suriname, Spain, Portugal From New York: partial, up to 9% of the Sun's diameter covered at about 15:01 UTC (Sun low).
Partial lunar eclipse Umbral magnitude 0.389; partial phase 2h21m	2028-07-06 18:19 UTC · Thu Jul 6, 2028 2:19 PM EDT	Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia From New York the Moon is below the horizon at greatest eclipse (-66°).
Total solar eclipse Magnitude 1.056, central duration 5m10s	2028-07-22 02:55 UTC · Fri Jul 21, 2028 10:55 PM EDT	Southeast Asia, East Indies, Australia, New Zealand Total path: Australia (incl. Sydney), New Zealand Not visible from the US East Coast.
Total lunar eclipse Umbral magnitude 1.246; partial phase 3h29m (total 1h11m)	2028-12-31 16:52 UTC · Sun Dec 31, 2028 11:52 AM EST	Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Pacific From New York the Moon is below the horizon at greatest eclipse (-27°).

The total solar eclipse of 12 August 2026 (Greenland, Iceland, Spain) has already happened. Magnitude for a solar eclipse is the fraction of the Sun's diameter covered at greatest eclipse. For a lunar eclipse, the umbral magnitude is the fraction of the Moon's diameter inside Earth's dark umbra; a negative value means a penumbral eclipse. "From New York" lines are our own calculation for 40.7° N, 74.0° W.

Meteor shower peaks

Shower	Peak (IMO)	ZHR	Moon at peak	Viewing
Leonids active Nov 6–30	2026-11-17 23:45 UTC · Tue Nov 17, 2026 6:45 PM EST	about 15	55% lit (first quarter)	best after midnight; radiant in Leo rises late evening · 2026 Leonids Guide →
Geminids active Dec 4–20	2026-12-14 14:00 UTC · Mon Dec 14, 2026 9:00 AM EST	150	25% lit (waxing crescent)	radiant up from mid-evening; best around 2 a.m. local time · 2026 Geminids Guide →
Ursids active Dec 17–26	2026-12-22 22:00 UTC · Tue Dec 22, 2026 5:00 PM EST	10 (occasionally up to 50)	98% lit (full Moon)	radiant near Polaris, up all night from northern latitudes
Quadrantids active Dec 28–Jan 12	2027-01-04 03:25 UTC · Sun Jan 3, 2027 10:25 PM EST	80 (can vary 60–200)	12% lit (waning crescent)	short peak; best in the pre-dawn hours, northern hemisphere
Lyrids active Apr 14–30	2027-04-23 01:40 UTC · Thu Apr 22, 2027 9:40 PM EDT	18 (variable, up to 90)	95% lit (waning gibbous)	radiant high before dawn
Eta Aquariids active Apr 19–May 28	2027-05-06 09:00 UTC · Thu May 6, 2027 5:00 AM EDT	50 (variable 40–80+)	0% lit (new Moon)	pre-dawn; much better from the southern hemisphere and tropics
Southern Delta Aquariids active Jul 12–Aug 23	2027-07-31 (IMO gives the date only)	25	6% lit (waning crescent)	broad maximum (IMO gives the date only); best from southern and tropical sites after midnight
Perseids active Jul 17–Aug 24	2027-08-13 09:00 UTC · Fri Aug 13, 2027 5:00 AM EDT	110+	87% lit (waxing gibbous)	IMO window 08h–10h UTC; best after midnight, northern hemisphere
Draconids active Oct 6–10	2027-10-09 07:00 UTC · Sat Oct 9, 2027 3:00 AM EDT	about 5 (variable)	67% lit (first quarter)	evening radiant in Draco; rare outbursts
Orionids active Oct 2–Nov 7	2027-10-22 (IMO gives the date only)	20	53% lit (last quarter)	broad maximum (IMO gives the date only); best after midnight
Leonids active Nov 6–30	2027-11-18 06:00 UTC · Thu Nov 18, 2027 1:00 AM EST	about 15	80% lit (waning gibbous)	best before dawn
Geminids active Dec 4–20	2027-12-14 20:00 UTC · Tue Dec 14, 2027 3:00 PM EST	150	98% lit (full Moon)	IMO: maximum centred around 20h UTC; best around 2 a.m. local time
Ursids active Dec 17–26	2027-12-23 04:00 UTC · Wed Dec 22, 2027 11:00 PM EST	10 (occasionally up to 50)	22% lit (waning crescent)	radiant near Polaris, up all night from northern latitudes
Quadrantids active Dec 28–Jan 12	2028-01-04 00:20 UTC · Mon Jan 3, 2028 7:20 PM EST Estimate: time Earth reaches solar longitude 283.15° (IMO Working List). The IMO 2028 calendar is not out yet.	80	40% lit (first quarter)	short peak; best pre-dawn, northern hemisphere
Lyrids active Apr 14–30	2028-04-21 22:11 UTC · Fri Apr 21, 2028 6:11 PM EDT Estimate: time Earth reaches solar longitude 32.32° (IMO Working List). The IMO 2028 calendar is not out yet.	18	8% lit (waning crescent)	radiant high before dawn
Eta Aquariids active Apr 19–May 28	2028-05-05 11:35 UTC · Fri May 5, 2028 7:35 AM EDT Estimate: time Earth reaches solar longitude 45.5° (IMO Working List). The IMO 2028 calendar is not out yet.	50	85% lit (waxing gibbous)	pre-dawn; best from the southern hemisphere
Perseids active Jul 17–Aug 24	2028-08-12 05:45 UTC · Sat Aug 12, 2028 1:45 AM EDT Estimate: time Earth reaches solar longitude 140.05° (IMO Working List). The IMO 2028 calendar is not out yet.	110	62% lit (last quarter)	best after midnight, northern hemisphere
Orionids active Oct 2–Nov 7	2028-10-20 20:59 UTC · Fri Oct 20, 2028 4:59 PM EDT Estimate: time Earth reaches solar longitude 208.0° (IMO Working List). The IMO 2028 calendar is not out yet.	20	11% lit (waxing crescent)	broad maximum; best after midnight
Leonids active Nov 6–30	2028-11-17 02:27 UTC · Thu Nov 16, 2028 9:27 PM EST Estimate: time Earth reaches solar longitude 235.27° (IMO Working List). The IMO 2028 calendar is not out yet.	15	1% lit (new Moon)	best before dawn
Geminids active Dec 4–20	2028-12-13 16:27 UTC · Wed Dec 13, 2028 11:27 AM EST Estimate: time Earth reaches solar longitude 262.2° (IMO Working List). The IMO 2028 calendar is not out yet.	150	7% lit (waning crescent)	best around 2 a.m. local time

ZHR (zenithal hourly rate) is the number of meteors one observer would see in an hour under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. Real counts are usually much lower, especially with moonlight or light pollution. The best time to watch is usually the night around the peak, after the radiant has risen high.

Moon, planets, seasons, comets and featured asteroids

OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM DISCOVERY · 27 OCTOBER 2026

Rubin Observatory Dwarf Planet Candidate 2026 ED138 (~46 AU Beyond Pluto)

Measured 46 AU trans-Neptunian orbit: The IAU Minor Planet Center and the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory team announced it on October 27, 2026. Matthew Holman and Mario Jurić shared it at the 58th AAS DPS meeting. The object has the temporary name 2026 ED138. It is now about 46 AU from the Sun. That is farther than Pluto's average distance of about 40 AU. It moves on a tilted trans-Neptunian orbit, tipped nearly 25° from the plane of the planets.
Measured 10-year precovery arc: Rubin's Simonyi Survey Telescope observed 2026 ED138 30 times across 20 nights between March 4 and July 11, 2026 against a crowded Milky Way star field, and ADAM Precovery linked it to archival DECam images back to 2016—establishing a >10-year orbital arc.
Inferred 600–1,500 km diameter (candidate status): From its optical brightness at 46 AU and assumed surface reflectivity (albedo), the team estimates a diameter of 600 to 1,500 km (~370 to 930 miles). Because optical brightness alone cannot separate size from reflectivity, 2026 ED138 remains a dwarf planet candidate awaiting follow-up thermal/infrared measurements to confirm its true diameter and IAU dwarf-planet status. Source: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory / IAU MPC release (27 Oct 2026).
Preprint, not peer-reviewed: On 28 October 2026 the team posted a paper on the object (Holman et al.). They sent it to a journal. It has not been checked by other experts yet. The figures below come from that paper. Source: arXiv:2610.38693.
Measured in the preprint (orbit): The team fit the orbit with old DECam images and Rubin data. That gives a 3,789-day arc in the preprint, from 25 February 2016 to 11 July 2026. The fit gives an average distance of 43.09 AU, an eccentricity of 0.139 and a tilt of 24.4°. The orbit lies at the edge of the 12:7 resonance with Neptune. That means it goes around the Sun about 7 times for every 12 trips by Neptune.
Measured in the preprint (brightness and color): The paper gives an absolute magnitude of H_V = 3.19, from the Rubin data. This is the team's own value. Catalog listings may show a different H, because they work it out in another way. Its color (g−r = 0.63) is too red for it to be one of the pieces broken off the dwarf planet Haumea.
Inferred size (interpretation): That brightness gives a width of 612 to 1,530 km. The range depends on how much light its surface reflects (albedo 0.25 down to 0.04). The paper calls 612 to 968 km "more probable", since the largest objects out there tend to reflect more light. No one has measured its size directly yet.
How many more (estimate): The team checked how well its search found objects that were already known. From that, it thinks about 3 more objects like this one, and probably more, are still waiting to be found away from the Milky Way's band.
Catalog update: On 29 October, JPL's new orbit fit added much older images. It stretches the arc back to 1937. Source: JPL Small-Body Database.

Event	When	Details
Planets Mars–Jupiter close pairing	2026-11-16 02:04 UTC · Sun Nov 15, 2026 9:04 PM EST	72′ apart, 88° from the Sun.
Planets Uranus at opposition	2026-11-25 22:41 UTC · Wed Nov 25, 2026 5:41 PM EST	Best time of year to see it: up all night, at its brightest.
Season December solstice	2026-12-21 20:50 UTC · Mon Dec 21, 2026 3:50 PM EST
Moon Supermoon (full Moon near perigee)	2026-12-24 01:28 UTC · Wed Dec 23, 2026 8:28 PM EST	356,738 km (221,667 mi) from Earth
Planets Venus at greatest western elongation	2027-01-03 17:58 UTC · Sun Jan 3, 2027 12:58 PM EST	Morning sky, 47° from the Sun.
Moon Supermoon (full Moon near perigee)	2027-01-22 12:17 UTC · Fri Jan 22, 2027 7:17 AM EST	357,644 km (222,230 mi) from Earth
Comet Comet 2P/Encke at perihelion	2027-02-10 05:00 UTC · Wed Feb 10, 2027 12:00 AM EST	Periodic comet. Best for binoculars low in the west after sunset in late January 2027, before it is lost in twilight. Forecasts of its peak brightness range from about magnitude 4 to 6.
Planets Jupiter at opposition	2027-02-11 00:28 UTC · Wed Feb 10, 2027 7:28 PM EST	Best time of year to see it: up all night, at its brightest.
Planets Mars at opposition	2027-02-19 15:50 UTC · Fri Feb 19, 2027 10:50 AM EST	Best time of year to see it: up all night, at its brightest.
Planets Mercury at greatest western elongation	2027-03-17 06:49 UTC · Wed Mar 17, 2027 2:49 AM EDT	Morning sky, 28° from the Sun.
Season March equinox	2027-03-20 20:24 UTC · Sat Mar 20, 2027 4:24 PM EDT
Planets Venus–Saturn close pairing	2027-05-07 18:44 UTC · Fri May 7, 2027 2:44 PM EDT	36′ apart, 26° from the Sun.
Season June solstice	2027-06-21 14:10 UTC · Mon Jun 21, 2027 10:10 AM EDT
Season September equinox	2027-09-23 06:01 UTC · Thu Sep 23, 2027 2:01 AM EDT
Planets Mercury at greatest eastern elongation	2027-09-24 21:59 UTC · Fri Sep 24, 2027 5:59 PM EDT	Evening sky, 26° from the Sun.
Planets Neptune at opposition	2027-09-28 14:18 UTC · Tue Sep 28, 2027 10:18 AM EDT	Best time of year to see it: up all night, at its brightest.
Planets Saturn at opposition	2027-10-18 00:35 UTC · Sun Oct 17, 2027 8:35 PM EDT	Best time of year to see it: up all night, at its brightest.
Planets Venus–Mars close pairing	2027-11-25 00:39 UTC · Wed Nov 24, 2027 7:39 PM EST	19′ apart, 27° from the Sun.
Planets Uranus at opposition	2027-11-30 09:21 UTC · Tue Nov 30, 2027 4:21 AM EST	Best time of year to see it: up all night, at its brightest.
Season December solstice	2027-12-22 02:42 UTC · Tue Dec 21, 2027 9:42 PM EST
Moon Supermoon (full Moon near perigee)	2028-02-10 15:03 UTC · Thu Feb 10, 2028 10:03 AM EST	356,720 km (221,655 mi) from Earth
Planets Mercury at greatest western elongation	2028-02-27 16:35 UTC · Sun Feb 27, 2028 11:35 AM EST	Morning sky, 27° from the Sun.
Moon Supermoon (full Moon near perigee)	2028-03-11 01:06 UTC · Fri Mar 10, 2028 8:06 PM EST	358,070 km (222,494 mi) from Earth
Planets Jupiter at opposition	2028-03-12 15:36 UTC · Sun Mar 12, 2028 11:36 AM EDT	Best time of year to see it: up all night, at its brightest.
Season March equinox	2028-03-20 02:17 UTC · Sun Mar 19, 2028 10:17 PM EDT
Planets Venus at greatest eastern elongation	2028-03-22 12:26 UTC · Wed Mar 22, 2028 8:26 AM EDT	Evening sky, 46° from the Sun.
Season June solstice	2028-06-20 20:02 UTC · Tue Jun 20, 2028 4:02 PM EDT
Planets Venus at greatest western elongation	2028-08-10 16:03 UTC · Thu Aug 10, 2028 12:03 PM EDT	Morning sky, 46° from the Sun.
Planets Mercury at greatest eastern elongation	2028-09-06 10:20 UTC · Wed Sep 6, 2028 6:20 AM EDT	Evening sky, 27° from the Sun.
Season September equinox	2028-09-22 11:45 UTC · Fri Sep 22, 2028 7:45 AM EDT
Planets Neptune at opposition	2028-09-30 02:48 UTC · Fri Sep 29, 2028 10:48 PM EDT	Best time of year to see it: up all night, at its brightest.
Planets Saturn at opposition	2028-10-30 17:33 UTC · Mon Oct 30, 2028 1:33 PM EDT	Best time of year to see it: up all night, at its brightest.
Planets Venus–Jupiter close pairing	2028-11-10 00:53 UTC · Thu Nov 9, 2028 7:53 PM EST	37′ apart, 32° from the Sun.
Planets Uranus at opposition	2028-12-03 20:28 UTC · Sun Dec 3, 2028 3:28 PM EST	Best time of year to see it: up all night, at its brightest.
Season December solstice	2028-12-21 08:19 UTC · Thu Dec 21, 2028 3:19 AM EST
Asteroid Asteroid 99942 Apophis extreme close approach (mag +3.1 naked-eye)	2029-04-13 21:46 UTC · Fri Apr 13, 2029 5:46 PM EDT	Skims just 19,656 miles (31,634 km) above the Atlantic (23,620 mi / 38,012 km from geocenter)—2,580 miles (4,152 km) inside the 22,236-mile (35,786 km) geostationary satellite ring and less than 1/10th the distance to the Moon (252,506 mi / 406,369 km, 0.2%-lit New Moon). The 1,115-ft (340 m), 41-million-ton city/state-scale asteroid reaches magnitude +3.1, visible without optics across Europe, Africa and western Asia.

Supermoon is not a formal astronomical term. Here it means a full Moon less than 360,000 km from Earth (centre to centre). Close pairings list planets less than 1.5° apart and at least 18° from the Sun. Comets are listed only when a published prediction exists; most comets stay too faint to see without a telescope, and brightness forecasts are uncertain.

The Sun: Solar Cycle 25 status

In NOAA's smoothed sunspot series, Cycle 25 has reached 160.9 (2024-10), against Cycle 24's peak of 116.4 (2014-04). The latest monthly value is 60.3 for 2026-09 (preliminary). Smoothed values lag by about six months, so the maximum is only confirmed later. Big flares and auroras remain likely for several years after the peak. See Aurora tonight and the live dashboard.

How this was compiled

Eclipses: date, type, magnitude, duration and visibility come from NASA GSFC's decade tables by Fred Espenak, cross-checked against his EclipseWise tables. Both list greatest eclipse in Terrestrial Dynamical Time (TD). We convert to UTC by subtracting ΔT (69.1 s from the Skyfield/IERS model). As a check, we recomputed the moment of closest Sun–Moon (or Moon–shadow) alignment from DE440. It agreed with NASA's time to within 2 seconds for every eclipse.
Discrepancies: EclipseWise gives times 1–2 s different from NASA GSFC for several eclipses (for example 2 Aug 2027: 10:07:50 TD vs 10:07:49 TD). This is a rounding and ephemeris difference that doesn't matter for observing. The IMO calendar puts the Moon at 96% lit for the 2026 Ursid peak, where our calculation gives 98%. Show the UTC time to anyone cross-checking against other sites, because many quote local time.
Meteor showers: peak times, ZHR and activity periods are from the IMO 2026 and 2027 calendars (ed. J. Rendtel). Where the IMO gives only a date, we say so. The IMO 2028 calendar is not published yet, so 2028 peaks are our estimate of when Earth reaches the IMO's solar longitude for each shower. They will be replaced when the calendar appears.
Computed here: Moon phase and illumination, full Moon distances, equinoxes and solstices, planet oppositions, Venus and Mercury elongations, and close planet pairings come from JPL DE440 (de440s) with the Skyfield library. Times are rounded to the minute.
Regenerate: the data file is made by tools/sky_events.py (released under CC0). The site rebuild filters out events more than 12 hours in the past. Data generated 2026-10-24 20:57 UTC.