Top Space and Astronomy Events to Look Forward to in 2026

In addition to the usual full moons, meteor showers, and planetary alignments, astronomers have a lot to look forward to in the coming year. The top astronomical stories of 2026 will revolve around the moon, with a rare solar eclipse and several lunar missions all on tap for the months ahead. Here is a look at the major space and astronomy stories that are expected to grab the headlines in the coming year.

Artemis II Astronaut Launch to the Moon

NASA has confirmed that it plans to launch a crewed mission to explore the area around the moon as early as February. This mission is part of the Artemis II program. Should the launch come to fruition, it will be the first time that astronauts travel past the low-Earth orbit in over 50 years. You have to go back to the Apollo era of space exploration to find the last time NASA launched a crewed lunar flyby.

The plan is for the Space Launch System rocket to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch are scheduled to crew the mission, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The four astronauts will spend approximately 10 days aboard the Orion spacecraft, traveling on a loop around the moon before making the return to Earth.