Night sky in August 2026
What to see in the night sky in August 2026: Moon phases, the darkest nights for the Milky Way, planets, meteor showers and other events, with dates and times.
Mercury at greatest western elongation, 2 August 2026
Mercury is 19.5° from the Sun — the best time to find it low in the east before sunrise.
Perseids meteor shower 2026
Peak night, up to 100 meteors an hour under a dark sky. The Moon is almost out of the way — a good year.
Total solar eclipse 12 August 2026
The path of totality crosses Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain. Most of Europe, North Africa and the north-east of North America see a partial eclipse.
Venus at greatest eastern elongation, 15 August 2026
Venus is 45.9° from the Sun — the best time to find it low in the west after sunset.
Partial lunar eclipse 28 August 2026
Visible wherever the Moon is up: the Americas, Europe and Africa.
Moon phases
- New Moon · 17:36 UTC
- Full Moon · Sturgeon Moon · 04:18 UTC
Darkest nights
Around the new moon the sky is darkest — the best nights for the Milky Way, faint galaxies and astrophotography: 8 Aug – 16 Aug.