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Southern sky in 2026 includes a red Moon, a blue Moon and a supermoon.
Summary
The southern sky in 2026 will feature a total lunar eclipse on 3 March and a supermoon on 24 December.
Content
The southern sky in 2026 offers a series of predictable and easily observed events for viewers in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Highlights include a total lunar eclipse in March, a blue Moon in May and a supermoon in December. Several notable planetary groupings and an annual meteor shower round out the year's schedule. Monthly star maps appear in the 2026 Australasian Sky Guide, which the article uses as its source.
Key events:
- A total lunar eclipse on the evening of Tuesday 3 March; totality is reported as occurring between 10:04pm and 11:03pm local time for south‑eastern Australia, with times earlier in Brisbane and Perth and just after midnight for Aotearoa New Zealand.
- A blue Moon (the second full Moon in a calendar month) on Sunday 31 May.
- A supermoon on Thursday 24 December, when the full Moon coincides with the Moon's closest approach to Earth for the month.
- A close grouping of Mercury, Mars and Saturn before dawn on 19–22 April, visible toward the east.
- Venus and Jupiter passing within about three moon‑widths of each other on the evenings of Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 June.
- A daytime occultation of Jupiter by the crescent Moon on Tuesday 3 November, visible with binoculars; the article notes binoculars must not be pointed at the Sun and that children should be supervised. From Sydney the Moon covers Jupiter at 10:40am and Jupiter reappears at 11:39am, with times varying by location.
Summary:
These events provide multiple opportunities to observe familiar lunar phases, planetary alignments and a major meteor shower during 2026, many of them visible to the unaided eye even from cities. Dates and exact visibility vary by location across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and the 2026 Australasian Sky Guide is cited as the source for monthly maps and further timing details.
