The year 2026 is set to be a landmark period for space exploration and celestial events, headlined by the return of human crews to the lunar vicinity and two significant solar eclipses. From interstellar visitors to planetary parades, the universe offers a dense schedule for both scientists and stargazers.
The Return of Human Lunar Exploration NASA’s Artemis program reaches a critical milestone in 2026 with a crewed mission featuring three Americans and one Canadian. The crew will perform a high-speed flyby of the moon’s far side—areas untouched since the Apollo era—to scout future landing sites. While they won't walk on the surface, their 10-day journey paves the way for the next phase of human bootprints.
A Robotic "Caravan" to the Moon The moon will also host several robotic missions: Blue Origin: Jeff Bezos’ company plans to launch a 26-foot prototype of its Blue Moon lander. Private Industry: Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and Firefly Aerospace (targeting the far side) are all scheduled for landings. China: A mission to the lunar south pole will deploy a rover and a "hopper" to search for water ice in shadowed craters.
Solar Eclipses and Planetary Parades Two major eclipses will darken the skies in 2026: February 17: A "Ring of Fire" (annular) eclipse over Antarctica. August 12: A highly anticipated Total Solar Eclipse crossing the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, with totality lasting over two minutes. Skywatchers can also look forward to a six-planet lineup around February 28, where Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye shortly after sunset.
Supermoons and Interstellar Visitors The year features three supermoons, with the most spectacular occurring on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). Additionally, scientists are tracking 3I/Atlas, the third known interstellar visitor to our solar system. Though currently fading, the comet will pass Jupiter in March before eventually returning to interstellar space.
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