Autumn Skies 2026: Meteor Showers, Planets, and the Equinox
Autumn 2026 offers a packed sky: the Fall Equinox on Sept 22 starts astronomical fall, with three Full Moons (Corn/Harvest Moon, Hunter, Beaver) and a strong meteor-showers season featuring Draconids (peak Oct 8), Orionids (peak Oct 21), Southern and Northern Taurids (peaks Nov 4–5 and 8–9), Leonids (peak Nov 16–17), and Geminids (Dec 13–14, ~100 meteors/hour) – near New Moon, minimizing moonlight. Venus glows in the evening sky while Mercury remains elusive; Saturn reaches Opposition on Oct 4, making it brightest this year, and Mars and Jupiter approach for a conjunction around Nov 14 before separating again. Moon phases will cross the sky with various close moon–planet events, offering prime observing opportunities across the season.