Oct122026 · UTC
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
See whether these planets are above your horizon after dark.
WHAT TO SEE & WHEN
Planetary Events.
Find your next opportunity, then check the view from your area.
YOUR PLACE. YOUR VIEW.
Tonight, at a glance
Approximate area
Choose a place to see local times, directions and conditions.
A FEW MINUTES OUTSIDE
A time. A direction. Something to see.
Your location tells us what is above your horizon and when to look. Clouds help us choose a useful window.
Location & data
A city you choose is remembered for this tab. Your IP address is used by IPinfo to find an approximate area, which is kept in this tab for 15 minutes. It may be wrong with a VPN. Browser location needs permission. The page URL includes the selected area, rounded to two decimal places, so you can copy it to share this view. Exact browser coordinates are not saved. Maps load directly from OpenStreetMap and NOAA, which receive the map area being viewed. City names: GeoNames, CC BY 4.0.
Plan ahead
Upcoming planetary events
The next 400 days in the available catalog. Event pages explain local visibility and prediction uncertainty.
Nov162026 · UTC
Mars–Jupiter Conjunction
See whether these planets are above your horizon after dark.
Nov202026 · UTC
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
See whether these planets are above your horizon after dark.
Nov252026 · UTC
Uranus at Opposition
See whether these planets are above your horizon after dark.
Jan32027 · UTC
Venus at Greatest Western Elongation
See whether these planets are above your horizon after dark.
Feb32027 · UTC
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
See whether these planets are above your horizon after dark.
Later dates (12)
Feb112027 · UTC
Jupiter at Opposition
Jupiter lies opposite the Sun, rises near sunset, and is favorably placed for observing.
Feb192027 · UTC
Mars at Opposition
Mars lies opposite the Sun, rises near sunset, and is favorably placed for observing.
Mar172027 · UTC
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
Mercury reaches its widest apparent separation from the Sun and is best placed in the morning sky.
Mar312027 · UTC
Mars–Jupiter Conjunction
Mars and Jupiter pass about 4.3° apart.
May72027 · UTC
Venus–Saturn Conjunction
Venus and Saturn pass about 0.61° apart.
May282027 · UTC
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
Mercury reaches its widest apparent separation from the Sun and is best placed in the evening sky.
Jul152027 · UTC
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
Mercury reaches its widest apparent separation from the Sun and is best placed in the morning sky.
Sep242027 · UTC
Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
Mercury reaches its widest apparent separation from the Sun and is best placed in the evening sky.
Sep282027 · UTC
Neptune at Opposition
Neptune lies opposite the Sun, rises near sunset, and is favorably placed for observing.
Oct112027 · UTC
Mercury–Venus Conjunction
Mercury and Venus pass about 3.8° apart.
Oct182027 · UTC
Saturn at Opposition
Saturn lies opposite the Sun, rises near sunset, and is favorably placed for observing.
Nov42027 · UTC
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
Mercury reaches its widest apparent separation from the Sun and is best placed in the morning sky.
Catalog refreshed . Dates and predictions come from the catalog used by Forecast Bar, with a source on every event.
Calendar day groupings use UTC. Event times adapt to your device’s time zone when JavaScript is available. Exact local visibility and weather can differ from the global catalog timing.
Observing tips & background
A little context. A better view.
Planetary Events: a field guide
Conjunctions are apparent meetings
Two objects can look close together from Earth while remaining far apart in space. Angular separation describes their apparent spacing, not their physical distance.
Opposition favors outer planets
An outer planet at opposition lies opposite the Sun in our sky. It is generally well placed during the night; its altitude and your weather still shape the observing opportunity.
Elongation measures distance from the Sun in the sky
Greatest elongation can make Mercury or Venus easier to find in the evening or morning. A low horizon and local twilight conditions are important, even when the separation is large.
A catalog event is not always observable
Some conjunctions occur close to the Sun. The event page preserves that distinction. Never sweep near the Sun with binoculars or a telescope to find a planet.
Learn more: NASA’s guide to observing the planets
Recently in the sky
Past events, preserved for reference.
Oct42026 · UTC
Saturn at Opposition
Saturn lies opposite the Sun, rises near sunset, and is favorably placed for observing.
Sep262026 · UTC
Neptune at Opposition
Neptune lies opposite the Sun, rises near sunset, and is favorably placed for observing.
Aug152026 · UTC
Mercury–Jupiter Conjunction
Mercury and Jupiter pass about 0.55° apart but lie close to the Sun in our sky.
Aug152026 · UTC
Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation
Venus reaches its widest apparent separation from the Sun and is best placed in the evening sky.
Aug22026 · UTC
Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
Mercury reaches its widest apparent separation from the Sun and is best placed in the morning sky.
Take the sky with you
From a date on a calendar
to a night worth remembering.
Open the astronomy calendar in Forecast Bar to explore events alongside your local weather and astronomy alert settings.
