Lunar forecast for the year: when to expect eclipses and supermoons

In 2026, the main space event will be the Artemis II mission: four astronauts will make a 10-day flight to the Moon and back, flying around its far side – for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. Although no landing is planned, this will be an important milestone for the program. The next mission, Artemis III, is scheduled for mid-2027 and is intended to land people near the Moon's South Pole. This was reported by writes Time and Date.

In addition, the new year will be full of astronomical events. For example, at the beginning of the year, there will be a total lunar eclipse – in fact, the last one until the end of 2028. On the night of March 2-3, the Moon will pass through the inner part of the Earth's shadow, acquiring a red hue for 58 minutes. This phenomenon will be visible from the Americas, the Pacific Ocean, Australia, New Zealand, and East Asia.

On August 12, a total solar eclipse will occur, which can be observed in certain regions of Spain, Iceland, Greenland, and Russia. The total shadow phase will last up to two minutes. This will be the first total solar eclipse since April 2024 and the first for mainland Europe since 1999.

There will also be 13 full moons in 2026, so there will be two in May. The second full moon within a single calendar month is called a Blue Moon. This phenomenon occurs on average once every 2.5 years.

At the same time, it should be noted that the Moon's orbit around the Earth is elliptical, not a perfect circle. Its configuration changes every month, so each full moon has slight differences and is not repeated exactly.

In 2026, astronomers will observe several extreme full moons. The largest will occur on December 24, with a visible diameter of 0.558°, which is roughly half the width of a human pinky finger when an arm is extended forward. The smallest full moon is expected on May 31, with a diameter of 0.490°.

The intervals between full moons will also vary: the longest will last from May 1 to May 31 – 29.640 days, and the shortest – from November 24 to December 24 – 29.441 days. As for illumination, the brightest full moon will occur on March 3, when its disk will be illuminated by 99.999%. The least illuminated – again on May 31, with a figure of 99.814%.