{
  "name": "Sky Calendar: Meteor Showers, Eclipses and Sky Events",
  "description": "Every dated sky event we track -- meteor shower peaks, solar and lunar eclipses, planet oppositions, solstices and equinoxes -- with the viewing window, expected rate, a plain-English note and a link to our how-to for each. Maintained by Outer Space Trip.",
  "publisher": "Outer Space Trip",
  "url": "https://outerspacetrip.com/sky-calendar/",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "license_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "license_note": "CC BY 4.0 applies to this compilation (selection, dating, notes and upkeep). The events themselves are public astronomy.",
  "attribution": "Compiled by Outer Space Trip (outerspacetrip.com)",
  "basis": "Meteor-shower peak nights are the widely published maxima (they shift by about a day year to year and the peak is a range, not a single night). Solstice and equinox dates are computed astronomy, fixed decades ahead. Eclipses are merged in from our eclipse dataset. Times are approximate; the best viewing is a dark sky after midnight for most showers. Planetary opposition dates are the published instants of opposition (Saturn 2026-10-04; Jupiter 2027-02-11 00:21 UTC, the evening of Feb 10 in the U.S.; Mars 2027-02-19 15:45 UT) and are the nights those planets are closest, brightest and highest, not necessarily the nights a given feature looks best.",
  "modified": "2026-09-09",
  "calendar_feed": "https://outerspacetrip.com/sky-calendar.ics",
  "events": [
    {
      "date": "2026-03-03",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Total lunar eclipse",
      "range": "March 3, 2026",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from East Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and the Americas. A 'blood moon' — the first total lunar eclipse visible from the Americas since 2025, and the last one until New Year's 2028.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-lunar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-07-29",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Delta Aquariids",
      "range": "July 28–30",
      "rate": "up to ~20/hr",
      "note": "A steady southern-sky shower that runs for weeks and overlaps the early Perseids. Best after midnight from the southern half of the U.S.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-07-30",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Alpha Capricornids",
      "range": "July 30–31",
      "rate": "~5/hr, bright fireballs",
      "note": "A low-rate shower famous for slow, brilliant fireballs bright enough to survive moonlight. Overlaps the Delta Aquariids and the early Perseids — late July runs three streams at once.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-08-12",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Perseids",
      "range": "August 11–13",
      "rate": "up to ~60–100/hr",
      "note": "The best-known shower of the year — warm nights, fast bright meteors, and frequent fireballs. Peaks in the pre-dawn hours.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-08-12",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Total solar eclipse",
      "range": "August 12, 2026",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain (partial across Europe and North America). The first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 2006.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-solar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-08-28",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Partial lunar eclipse",
      "range": "August 28, 2026",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from The Americas, Europe, and Africa. A deep 96% partial eclipse — very nearly a full blood moon.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-lunar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-09-23",
      "kind": "equinox",
      "name": "September Equinox",
      "range": "September 23",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Day and night are nearly equal; the start of astronomical fall in the Northern Hemisphere and longer observing nights ahead.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/whats-in-the-sky-tonight/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-10-04",
      "kind": "opposition",
      "name": "Saturn at opposition",
      "range": "October 4",
      "rate": "mag ~0.4",
      "note": "Saturn rises at sunset, is closest to Earth for the year and sits highest around midnight. The rings read about 7.5 degrees open, still recovering from the March 2025 edge-on crossing and widening a little every year through 2032. Any telescope 60mm or larger separates them from the disc.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-see-saturn/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-10-21",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Orionids",
      "range": "October 21–22",
      "rate": "up to ~20/hr",
      "note": "Debris from Halley's Comet — fast meteors radiating from Orion, best after midnight.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-11-17",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Leonids",
      "range": "November 17–18",
      "rate": "up to ~15/hr",
      "note": "Usually modest, but the Leonids are famous for rare storms. Fast, bright meteors from the constellation Leo.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-12-13",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Geminids",
      "range": "December 13–14",
      "rate": "up to ~120/hr",
      "note": "The most reliable and prolific shower of the year — slow, bright, multicolored meteors. Worth bundling up for a cold, clear night.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-12-21",
      "kind": "solstice",
      "name": "December Solstice",
      "range": "December 21",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "The longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere — the most dark-sky observing time of any date.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/whats-in-the-sky-tonight/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-12-22",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Ursids",
      "range": "December 21–22",
      "rate": "up to ~10/hr",
      "note": "A quiet shower near the solstice, radiating from the Little Dipper. A modest bonus after the Geminids.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2027-01-04",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Quadrantids",
      "range": "January 3–4",
      "rate": "up to ~120/hr",
      "note": "A brief but intense January shower with a sharp peak just a few hours long — timing and a dark sky are everything.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2027-02-06",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Annular solar eclipse",
      "range": "February 6, 2027",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from Chile, Argentina, and the South Atlantic. A 'ring of fire' across southern South America.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-solar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2027-02-11",
      "kind": "opposition",
      "name": "Jupiter at opposition",
      "range": "February 10-11",
      "rate": "mag ~-2.5",
      "note": "Jupiter at its biggest and brightest of the year, in Leo. Steady binoculars show the four Galilean moons strung out beside it; the cloud bands and the Great Red Spot need a small telescope.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-see-jupiter/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2027-02-19",
      "kind": "opposition",
      "name": "Mars at opposition",
      "range": "February 19",
      "rate": "mag ~-1.2",
      "note": "Mars at its closest and brightest since 2025, eight days after Jupiter's opposition. This is an aphelic opposition, so the disc stays small even at its best; a 6-inch or larger scope on a steady night is what shows surface markings.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-see-mars/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2027-03-20",
      "kind": "equinox",
      "name": "March Equinox",
      "range": "March 20",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "The start of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere; day and night nearly equal worldwide.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/whats-in-the-sky-tonight/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2027-04-22",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Lyrids",
      "range": "April 22–23",
      "rate": "up to ~18/hr",
      "note": "The first strong shower after the winter lull — bright meteors from near the star Vega, sometimes with lingering trains.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2027-05-06",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Eta Aquariids",
      "range": "May 5–6",
      "rate": "up to ~40/hr",
      "note": "Fast meteors from Halley's Comet, best from the southern U.S. and tropics in the pre-dawn sky.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2027-06-21",
      "kind": "solstice",
      "name": "June Solstice",
      "range": "June 21",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "The longest day in the Northern Hemisphere — short nights, but warm ones for casual stargazing.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/whats-in-the-sky-tonight/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2027-08-02",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Total solar eclipse",
      "range": "August 2, 2027",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from Southern Spain, North Africa (including Egypt), and the Arabian Peninsula. Up to 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality — the longest total solar eclipse over land until 2114.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-solar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2027-08-13",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Perseids",
      "range": "August 12–13",
      "rate": "up to ~60–100/hr",
      "note": "The summer favorite returns — fast, bright meteors and fireballs on warm August nights.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2027-12-14",
      "kind": "meteor",
      "name": "Geminids",
      "range": "December 13–14",
      "rate": "up to ~120/hr",
      "note": "The year's richest shower — slow, bright, colorful meteors on a long winter night.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/meteor-shower-guide/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2028-01-12",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Partial lunar eclipse",
      "range": "January 12, 2028",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from The Americas, Europe, and Africa. A shallow graze — only a small bite off the Moon's edge enters Earth's dark shadow, nothing like a blood moon.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-lunar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2028-01-26",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Annular solar eclipse",
      "range": "January 26, 2028",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from The eastern Pacific, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and the Iberian Peninsula. A 'ring of fire' that ends over Spain and Portugal near sunset.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-solar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2028-07-06",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Partial lunar eclipse",
      "range": "July 6, 2028",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. A moderate partial — about 39% of the Moon's diameter in Earth's shadow at maximum.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-lunar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2028-07-22",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Total solar eclipse",
      "range": "July 22, 2028",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from Australia (including Sydney) and New Zealand. Totality passes directly over Sydney.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-solar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2028-12-31",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Total lunar eclipse",
      "range": "December 31, 2028",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. A New Year's Eve blood moon.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-lunar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2029-06-26",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Total lunar eclipse",
      "range": "June 26, 2029",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from The Americas, western Europe, and Africa. A long totality of roughly 1 hour 42 minutes.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-lunar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2029-12-20",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Total lunar eclipse",
      "range": "December 20, 2029",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from The Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Totality of about 54 minutes.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-lunar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2030-06-01",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Annular solar eclipse",
      "range": "June 1, 2030",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from North Africa, Greece, Turkey, Russia, China, and Japan. A wide 'ring of fire' stretching across Europe and Asia.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-solar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2030-06-15",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Partial lunar eclipse",
      "range": "June 15, 2030",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Half the Moon's diameter slides into Earth's shadow at maximum.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-lunar-eclipse/"
    },
    {
      "date": "2030-11-25",
      "kind": "eclipse",
      "name": "Total solar eclipse",
      "range": "November 25, 2030",
      "rate": "",
      "note": "Visible from Southern Africa (Botswana and South Africa) and Australia. Totality crosses southern Africa and into the Australian outback.",
      "guide": "https://outerspacetrip.com/guides/how-to-watch-a-solar-eclipse/"
    }
  ]
}