Published on: 2026-08-31
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Autumn, especially September and October, is the best time for astronomy in Siberia, when nights become long and dark enough compared to summer, yet it is not as cold as in winter. Therefore, the greatest surge of amateur astronomical activity usually occurs at the end of summer and in autumn, particularly in the first half. In this review, we will look at what interesting astronomical phenomena await us in Novosibirsk and its surroundings during this period.
The most interesting astronomical phenomena of autumn 2026
Evening of September 14. The conjunction of the Moon and Venus in the bright sky. On the evening of September 14, Venus will be just 0.2° from the edge of the lunar disk for observers in Novosibirsk. However, this phenomenon will not be visible in the dark because the Moon and Venus will set only 19-20 minutes after sunset. Nevertheless, since the Moon and Venus are very bright objects, this conjunction can be observed with binoculars or telescopes even before the Sun sets, in the bright evening sky.
The best observation period will be approximately from 18:30 to 19:10, during which the altitude of the Moon and Venus will change from 10° to 6°, and the altitude of the setting Sun will range from 10° to 5°, meaning the Sun will be almost at the same height as the Moon and Venus. Meanwhile, the angular separation (elongation) of the Moon and Venus from the Sun will be quite significant, providing a good chance to find above the southwestern horizon first the thin lunar crescent at 12% phase, and then Venus, located very close above it. Venus’ brightness will be -4.7 magnitudes, and it will also appear as a small crescent with a 29% phase, so with sufficiently high magnification (through a telescope) it will be possible to see two crescents side by side — the large crescent of the Moon and the small one of Venus.
Since the Moon and Venus will be positioned low in the bright sky, it is most likely that they will not be visible to the naked eye (the Moon can probably be seen in a clear sky, while Venus cannot), therefore binoculars or a telescope will be required. If the Moon and Venus were higher, Venus could also be seen with the naked eye given sufficient visual acuity. Additionally, an open southwest horizon and very clear sky are necessary, because even slight cloudiness or haze under these conditions can significantly complicate or even make it impossible to observe this conjunction.
Conjunction of Venus and the Moon on September 14 at 18:45
Night of September 30 / October 1. The Moon covers the Pleiades. A series of occultations of the Pleiades star cluster by Earth’s satellite, the Moon, is underway, which occurs every 18 years. The 18-year period corresponds to the duration of the lunar saros (draconic period) and is caused by the precession of the Moon’s orbit. In other words, it is the period of the lunar orbit’s precession. The Pleiades cluster is located in the sky a little above the ecliptic, but thanks to the precession and the Moon’s orbit inclination of about 5 degrees, the Moon in its apparent motion across the sky periodically (every 18 years) “reaches” the Pleiades and produces a series of occultations of the cluster.
At the latitude of Novosibirsk, the current series of occultations began in mid-2024 and will end in March 2028. Occultations occur approximately once a month (more precisely, every 29 days, which corresponds to the Moon’s sidereal period). However, not every occultation is visible in Novosibirsk.
In the first occultations of the autumn of 2026, the Moon will cover three bright stars of the cluster — Electra, Taygeta, and Maia. Here are the parameters of these occultations:
Electra. Start at 23:03:01, elevation 23°, end at 23:43:59, elevation 29°.
Taigeta. Start at 23:17:55, altitude 26°, end at 00:08:25, altitude 33°.
Maya. Start at 23:25:03, altitude 26°, end at 00:22:26, altitude 35°.
It is also worth noting that before the beginning and especially after the coverage ends, when the Moon and the Pleiades continue to rise in the night sky, the Moon next to the star cluster will look very striking.
The path of the Moon through the Pleiades star cluster on the night of September 30 / October 1
October 11-12. Mars in the Nurseries. The open star cluster M44 “Beehive” is one of the most well-known and remarkable deep-sky objects in the sky. It is a cluster of stars whose brightness does not exceed magnitude 6, meaning these stars themselves are practically invisible to the naked eye even under a dark sky. However, together the brightness of the cluster they form reaches magnitude 3, and it can be seen with the naked eye as a faint, hazy object. On October 11 and 12, Mars in its apparent movement across the sky will pass in front of this cluster. Its brightness at that time will be about magnitude 1, and to the naked eye the cluster against its background will most likely be almost invisible. However, a very interesting sight will appear in binoculars or a telescope, where it will be visible how bright red Mars is among many fairly bright stars.
This conjunction will be visible in the second half of the night, the best time for observation is approximately from 3:30 to 6 o’clock in the morning.
Morning of October 28. Conjunction of the Moon and the Pleiades. This conjunction will not occur during nighttime in Novosibirsk for the Moon to cover the Pleiades cluster stars. The first covering of a bright star (Electra) will begin at 8:40, already after sunrise. However, in the morning of October 28, while it is not yet too light, the Moon gradually approaching the cluster will be visible near the Pleiades. The best viewing time will be approximately from 6:30 to 7:00, when the Moon is closest to the Pleiades in the still dark sky. At that time, the distance from the edge of the lunar disk to Electra, the bright star of the Pleiades closest to the Moon, will be about 1°.
Moon and Pleiades on October 28 at 6:30
Morning of November 3. Conjunction of the Moon, Jupiter, and Mars. Of the four conjunctions of the Moon and Jupiter in the autumn of 2026, this conjunction will be the most interesting for observations in Novosibirsk. Around 4 a.m. on November 3, Jupiter will be at a distance of 0.6° to the north of the lunar disk’s edge. The Moon itself at this time will appear as a waning crescent with a phase of 38%, next to which, to the left and above, will be Jupiter as a bright star of magnitude -2. All this will be easily visible to the naked eye in the morning, with the best observation period approximately from 4 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. on November 3.
The conjunction of Jupiter and the Moon on November 3 at 5 a.m.
In addition to the close conjunction of Jupiter and the Moon somewhat nearby, at a distance of about 5° to the right and above them, Mars will be located (brightness 0.9 mag).
Jupiter, the Moon, and Mars on November 3 at 5 a.m.
November 14-26. Conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, and Regulus. In the second half of November, a triangle of three bright celestial bodies — Jupiter, Mars, and the star Regulus — gradually changing its contours will be clearly visible in the morning sky. On November 15-16, Mars will pass just 1.2° away from Jupiter, while Regulus will be at a distance of 4.3 to 4.6° from them. The best time to observe this conjunction will be roughly from 3 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. By morning, the altitude of these objects will be above 40°, so there should be no particular problems observing them.
Jupiter, Mars, and Regulus on November 16 at 7 AM
After this, Mars, which has the fastest apparent motion in the sky among the three, will shift from Jupiter toward Regulus and by the night of November 26/27 will be at its minimum angular distance from Regulus, about 1.7°. Jupiter will also have moved slightly closer to Regulus during this time and will be located to the right and above it by 3.7°. The optimal time for observation will be approximately from 2:30 to 8 a.m.
Jupiter, Mars, and Regulus on November 27 at 6 a.m.
November 15-18. Conjunction of Venus and Spica. In its visible movement across the sky on the specified days, Venus (brightness -4.7 mag) will appear to slowly curve around the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis), transitioning from retrograde to direct motion. This pair of objects will be visible in the morning, roughly from 7:00 to 7:50, with Venus located approximately 1.5° from Spica. The altitude of these objects will be quite low, from 6 to 13° in the southeast, so an open horizon in this direction will be necessary.
Evening of November 24. Coverage of the Pleiades by the Moon. This event will begin while the sky is still light, so by the time it gets dark enough in Novosibirsk, some of the occultations of the Pleiades stars by the Moon will have already finished, while others will be in progress. Essentially, only the occultations of two stars will be visible — Alcyone (partially, beginning in the light sky) and Atlas (completely). Here are the parameters of these occultations:
- Alcyone. Start at 17:44:59, altitude 9° (still light), end at 18:34:04, altitude 16°.
- Atlas. Start at 18:21:34, altitude 14°, end at 19:00:30, altitude 19°.
It should be noted that the occultations themselves will occur at a fairly low altitude in the eastern part of the sky, so an open eastern horizon is necessary for observations. After the occultations are over, on an already dark sky and at increasingly higher altitude, the Moon can be observed near the Pleiades cluster.
The path of the Moon through the Pleiades cluster on the evening of November 24
Other compounds
Night of September 6/7. Conjunction of the Moon and Mars. This conjunction will be visible in the second half of the night on September 7. The best observation period is approximately from 2:30 to 4:30. At 3:30, Mars will be 2.4° to the right of the waning crescent Moon at phase 22°. Mars’s brightness will be 1.2 magnitude. The altitude of the objects during this period will vary from 10 to 26°, and they will be in the eastern part of the sky, so an open eastern horizon will be needed for observation.
Morning of September 9. The conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter. This conjunction is best observed on the morning of September 9, roughly between 4:45 and 5:50, when Jupiter will be located to the right and above the Moon at a distance of approximately 2.7°. At this time, the Moon will appear as a thin crescent with a phase of 6%, and the objects themselves will be at an altitude between 5 and 15° in the east, so an unobstructed eastern horizon will be needed for observation.
Evening of September 17. Conjunction of the Moon and Antares. Antares is a 1st magnitude star, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, having an intensely red color. On the evening of September 17, a waxing crescent Moon with a phase of 38% will be located beneath it. The optimal observation period is roughly from 8:00 PM to 8:45 PM. Unfortunately, the conjunction will be visible at a very low altitude from 4 to 1°, so an open southwest horizon is necessary for observations.
Morning of October 5. Conjunction of the Moon and Mars. The best observation period is approximately from 5:30 to 7:00. At 6:15, Mars will be 3.2° to the left and below the waning crescent Moon at phase 34°. Mars’ brightness will be 1.1 magnitude.
Morning of October 6. Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter. The best observation period is approximately from 5:10 to 6:40, when Jupiter will be positioned to the left and below the Moon at a distance of about 5.5°. At this time, the Moon will appear as a crescent with a phase of 24%, and the objects themselves will be at an altitude of 20 to 35° in the east, so an open eastern horizon will be needed for observations.
Morning of October 7. The conjunction of the Moon and the star Regulus. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo, with a brightness of 1.4 mag. On the morning of October 7, the thin crescent of the waning Moon at 15% phase will be near this star. The optimal observation period will last approximately from 6:30 to 7:30, during which the angular distance between them will decrease from 1.4 to 1.1°, and the altitude will increase from 26 to 34°.
Evening of October 29. Conjunction of the Moon and the star Nun. Nat is a star with a brightness of 1.7 magnitudes, located in the constellation Taurus. On the evening of October 29, the Moon at 84% phase will be near it, with the star Nat positioned about 1.5° above it. The optimal observation period is approximately from 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM; during this time, the objects’ altitude will increase from 11° to 22°, which is not very high, so an open eastern horizon is required for observation.
Morning of November 26. Conjunction of the Moon and the star Nat. This time the Moon will be 1.3° from the star Nat on the morning of November 26, with Nat positioned above and to the right of the Moon. The optimal observation period is approximately from 5:30 to 8:00, during which the altitude of the objects will decrease from 48° to 27°, which is high enough for comfortable viewing.
Morning of November 30. Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter. This conjunction is best observed on the morning of November 30, approximately from 5:30 to 8:20, when Jupiter will be located to the left of the Moon at a distance of about 4.4°.
The night of November 30 / December 1 Connection of Mars, Regulus, the Moon, and Jupiter. This conjunction is best observed in the early morning hours of the night of December 1st, approximately from 0:30 to 4:15. The star Regulus (Alpha Leonis), with a magnitude of 1.4, will be at the center of this conjunction, and around it at a distance of 2.5 to 3.5° will be the Moon at 56% phase, Mars (brightness 0.5 mag), and Jupiter (brightness -2.1 mag). The color contrast between the blue Regulus, red Mars, and yellow Jupiter can be quite striking even in visual observations, and it will appear even better when such a conjunction is photographed through a telescope.
Mars, Regulus, Jupiter, and the Moon on December 1 at 1 a.m.
Meteor showers
October 21. Peak of the Orionid meteor shower. This meteor shower, with its radiant in the constellation Orion, originates from comet 1P/Halley. Its peak intensity is about 20-30 meteors per hour, and the meteors themselves are very fast. The stream’s radiant rises quite high in the second half of the night, and the peak period is fairly broad, with activity near the maximum level maintained for several days around October 21.
November 17. Peak of the Leonids meteor shower. This shower with a radiant in the constellation Leo shows a usual annual activity of about 10-15 meteors per hour, but it is known for its periodic increases in activity in the years around the perihelions of the parent comet 55P/Swift-Tuttle. No increased activity is forecast for the current year. The radiant of this shower also rises high in the sky in the second half of the night and produces fast meteors.
Comets
No very bright comets are expected in the autumn of 2026 at the time of writing this review, although it is not excluded that such comets may appear in the future.
220P/McNaught. After two outbursts reaching 7-8 magnitude in the summer of 2026, the brightness of this comet decreases quite rapidly, and if no new activity outbursts occur, it is expected to remain observable with large amateur telescopes throughout September, with its brightness dropping from magnitude 10 to 12 during that month. The comet will be best seen in the second half of the night, positioned on the border of the constellations Taurus and Cetus.
161P/Hartley-IRAS. This comet will be visible to large amateur telescopes in October-November, with a brightness of about 10-11 magnitude. It will be seen mainly in the evening until midnight. In October, it will cross the constellations of Aquarius, Equuleus, and Delphinus, and in November it will be in the constellations of Aquila and Sagitta. The orbital period of this comet around the Sun is 21 years; its previous appearance was in 2005, so it is not a very frequent visitor to the inner regions of the Solar System. The comet will pass perihelion on November 27 at a distance of 1.27 AU. The appearance of this comet is expected to be fairly standard for short-period comets — a green spherical coma with a small, indistinct tail.
Material prepared by: Mikhail Maslov, lead engineer of the Vega Observatory of NSU, images obtained with the help of the StarCalc 5.71 program (developer — A. Zavalishin).
ByClarification: Usually, various astronomical phenomena can be observed over a more or less extensive territory, and depending on the specific event in question, they may be visible, for example, in different regions of Siberia or Russia as a whole, or across the entire northern or eastern hemisphere, or even worldwide. In the present review, information is provided about which remarkable, unusual, and interesting astronomical phenomena will be observable in Novosibirsk and its surroundings in the autumn of 2026.
At the same time, it may very well turn out that Novosibirsk will not be the optimal location for observing any of the phenomena mentioned in the review, and at other points on our planet the phenomenon will be visible better; however, the visibility circumstances are given specifically for Novosibirsk.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.