Quick Reference: Orion Constellation What it looks like: distinct hourglass shape, with the famous 3-star Belt across the middle. Best season: December to March in the Northern Hemisphere. Visible all night. The Belt stars (left to right): Alnitak, Alnilam, Mintaka. The brightest stars: Rigel (blue, bottom-right), Betelgeuse (red supergiant, top-left). Tool: the Almanac’s 10 brightest

Quick Reference: The Daytime Moon How often: the moon is up during daylight about half the lunar month. Best phases: waxing gibbous (afternoons, eastern sky) and waning gibbous (mornings, western sky). Worst phases: new moon (too close to sun) and full moon (rises at sunset, sets at sunrise). Why visible: the moon’s reflected sunlight is

When two full Moons appear in a single month, the second one is usually called a Blue Moon. However, there is proof that this popular definition may be a misunderstanding picked up by mainstream media in the 1940s! Learn about different definitions for a Blue Moon, when the next one will occur, superstitions, and ways

We are being visited by a comet from another solar system. Here’s why it’s historic and what to expect.

Quick Reference: Lunar Eclipses Frequency: 2-3 lunar eclipses per year. Total eclipses (red moon) about once per year. Why red: sunlight refracts through Earth’s atmosphere and bends red light onto the moon. Visibility: the entire night side of Earth at the moment of eclipse. Duration: totality lasts 1-2 hours; the whole event 3-5 hours. 2026

Quick Reference: Daylight Saving Time 2026 DST 2026 status: In effect right now. Clocks sprang forward Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 2:00 a.m. Next time change (Fall Back): Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2:00 a.m. (2:00 a.m. becomes 1:00 a.m.) Spring Forward 2027: Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 2:00 a.m. US rule: Second Sunday in

Quick Reference: Orionid Meteor Shower Peak 2026: the predawn hours of October 21-22, 2026. Active dates: October 2 to November 7. Rate at peak: 15 to 25 meteors per hour under dark skies. Radiant (where they appear to come from): the constellation Orion, near the upraised club of the Hunter. Parent body: Halley’s Comet (1P/Halley).

Bundle up and head outside to watch the December Geminids, considered the best of the annual meteor displays. Learn more about this active meteor shower coming to a backyard sky near you!

Quick Reference: Celebrating the Harvest Moon When: the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. In 2026, September 15. Why celebrate: the Harvest Moon’s bright light traditionally let farmers work past sunset to bring in the crop. Seasonal foods: corn, squash, apples, pears, grapes, root vegetables. Traditional activities: moon-viewing dinner outdoors, harvest blessing, candle-lit gratitude

Ever look at the Moon and see a bright star shining beside it? Chances are it’s a planet (usually Venus or Jupiter). Farmers’ Almanac teams up with expert astronomer Dean Regas for this go-to guide to tell you which visible planets are shining tonight (or tomorrow morning) and which direction to look. Visible Planets 2026