Upcoming Events, SAAA Activities and Points of Interest
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2026
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April 2 -- Full Moon.
The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 02:13 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the first spring flowers. This moon has also been known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon, and the Egg Moon. Many coastal tribes called it the Fish Moon because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.
April 3 -- Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation.
The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 27.8 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
April 17 -- New Moon.
The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 11:54 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
April 22, 23 - Lyrids Meteor Shower.
The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25. It peaks this year on the night of the night of the 22nd and morning of the 23rd. These meteors can sometimes produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight leaving dark skies for what should be a great show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Lyra, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
May 1 -- Full Moon (Flower Moon)
May’s Full Moon is known as the Flower Moon after all the flowers that bloom around this time in the Northern Hemisphere.
May 3 -- Sky Event
The Moon will rise alongside Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius.
May 4 -- Angelo Astronomy Quarterly Meeting
A chance to meet and greet members and friends in an informal setting, not out in the dark where no one can see. We meet at 7pm at the ASU Planetarium to discuss business and usually watch a show.
May 6, 7 -- Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower.
The Eta Aquarids is an above average shower, capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. Most of the activity is seen in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the rate can reach about 30 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet Halley, which has been observed since ancient times. The shower runs annually from April 19 to May 28. It peaks this year on the night of May 6 and the morning of May 7. The waning gibbous moon will block out many of the fainter meteors this year. But if you are patient, you should still should be able to catch some of the brighter ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
May 16 -- Super New Moon
This month’s New Moon is at 20:01 UTC on May 16. It is the first of two Super New Moons in 2026.
May 18 -- Venus Moon Conjunction
Venus with a slender crescent moon will be pleasing to see. Earthshine will make the view seem almost three-dimensional.
May 31-- Micro Blue Moon
Across all time zones, this is the second Full Moon in the month of May, making it a monthly Blue Moon. It is also a Micromoon.
June 4 -- June 7
International Space Development Conference (ISDC) 2026: Space For Us All
$95 – $600
This 44th Annual ISDC brings together visionaries in spaceflight, the NewSpace economy, and space settlement for 4 days of groundbreaking discussions and insights. Connect with NASA astronauts, top space industry executives, researchers, engineers and academics shaping the new space age. This exciting, one-of-a-kind conference is open to everyone. At Hilton McLean Tysons Corner.
Session subjects include Interstellar, Moon, Living In Space, Space Business, Spaceports, Space Policy, Space Solar Power and many others.
Featured speakers include Pascal Lee, Aarti Holla-Maini
June 15 -- June 20
2026 International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), Midland, TX
IREC isn’t just a competition, it’s a launchpad for innovation and careers. This year, 175 teams have successfully applied and been accepted to participate in the 2026 IREC — to push the limits of high-powered rocketry, applying classroom theory to real-world engineering challenges, and break new IREC records!
The Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 for the purpose of fostering and promoting engineering knowledge and experience in the field of rocketry. ESRA’s mission is to provide safe and exciting opportunities for academic groups to compete in aerospace challenges.
In 2006, ESRA established the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) which has since grown from a handful of U.S. based collegiate teams to welcoming 150+ collegiate teams from ~22 countries on 6 different continents. During the IREC each team designs, builds, tests and launches rockets with a payload size >2kg and target altitudes of 3,000 to 30,000 meters. Rockets are typically 10 to 20 centimeters in diameter and 2.5 to 6 meters long. Multi-stage rockets and all chemical propulsion types (solid, liquid and hybrid) are allowed.
https://spacecalendar.com/event/2026-international-rocket-engineering-competition-irec/
June 23 — National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Moon Orbit
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Reaches 17 Years in Moon Orbit
NASA spacecraft reaches 17 full years in Moon orbit today; launched Jun 18, 2009, arrived at Moon 5 days later.
June 29 — Full Moon, Strawberry Moon
23:57 UTC (13:57 HST).
June 30 -- Asteroid Day
UN-Sanctioned annual, global asteroid awareness program supporting thousands of independently organized events, providing educational resources; held on June 30, the anniversary of the Tunguska event in 1908 when a meteor air burst levelled about 2,150 km² of forest in Siberia, Russia.
Jul 6 -- Earth at Aphelion, 1.0167 AU from the Sun
Occurs 07:30 HST / 17:30 UTC; Earth aphelion is the point in its elliptical orbit where it is farthest from the Sun, occurring annually in early July; at aphelion , Earth is about 94.5 million miles from the Sun, or roughly 3% farther than its closest point, perihelion, in January.
July 20 -- International Moon Day
International Moon Day is a celebration of humanity’s enduring fascination with the Moon—our closest celestial neighbor and a symbol of discovery. From ancient myths to the Apollo landings and future lunar missions, the Moon has always inspired curiosity and ambition. This day honors past achievements in space exploration while igniting new dreams for the future. As we step forward into the next era of lunar exploration, we remember that every great journey begins with a single step—just like the one taken on the Moon in 1969.
https://internationalmoonday.org/
Jul 21 - Jul 23 --- The 2026 Humans to the Moon & Mars Summit
US$161 – US$583
Gathering top experts in Moon and Mars architectures, systems, science, human health, innovation, policy. July 21: Workshops and Tours. July 22-23: Plenary Sessions. At Rice University. https://exploremars.org/summit/
Jul 29 — Full Moon, Buck / Thunder Moon
14:37 UTC / 04:37 HST.
July 31 -- The Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks.
The brightness of an almost-full Moon will severely limit the number of meteors visible.
Aug 3 -- Angelo Astronomy Quarterly Meeting
A chance to meet and greet members and friends in an informal setting, not out in the dark where no one can see. We meet at 7pm at the ASU Planetarium to discuss business and usually watch a show.
Aug 12 -- Total solar eclipse.
The solar eclipse will be best viewed around Iceland, Greenland, and Spain, but will also be visible to a lesser extent from parts of Europe, northern Asia and Africa, and North America. Totality will last a maximum of 2 minutes and 18 seconds.
Aug 13 -- The Perseid meteor shower peaks.
This shower will peak during a new Moon, making for excellent viewing. It is more visible to viewers in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere, but the shower can also be spotted from parts of the Southern Hemisphere.
Aug 27 — Full Moon, Full Sturgeon Moon, Partial Eclipse of Moon
With 93% of the Moon falling into Earth's umbral shadow, maximum eclipse 18:19 HST // 04:12 UTC on August 28, visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia
Aug 28 -- Partial lunar eclipse.
The lunar eclipse will be visible from parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and South America.
Sept 22 -- September equinox.
Oct 4-10 --- World Space Week.
The world’s largest annual space event, World Space Week is the United Nations’ official celebration of space and the use of technology to help humanity. This year’s theme is “Rocket Revolution.”
Oct 21-- The Orionid meteor shower peaks.
The Moon will look mostly lit up and will brighten the night sky, which may make it harder to spot this shower. It will be visible to viewers in both the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere.
Nov 2 -- Angelo Astronomy Quarterly Meeting
A chance to meet and greet members and friends in an informal setting, not out in the dark where no one can see. We meet at 7pm at the ASU Planetarium to discuss business and usually watch a show.
Sometime in November -- Voyager 1 reaches one light-day from Earth.
NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft, still active almost 50 years since its launch in 1977, will reach 25.9 billion kilometers (16.1 billion miles) away from Earth. At this distance, light will take a full day to travel between our planet and Voyager 1.
Nov 17-- The Leonid meteor shower peaks.
The Moon will look partially lit up and will brighten the night sky, but will set before the shower’s peak visibility later in the night. The shower will be visible to viewers in both the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere.
Dec 14 -- The Geminid meteor shower peaks.
The Moon will appear to be only slightly lit and will set before the shower’s peak visibility, so it should not interfere much with the display. It is more visible to viewers in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere, but the shower can also be spotted from much of the Southern Hemisphere.
Dec 21-- December solstice
Dec 22-- The Ursid meteor shower peaks.
The brightness of an almost-full Moon will severely limit the number of meteors visible. This shower’s visibility is mostly limited to viewers in the Northern Hemisphere.