2026 Planet Visibility Calendar
Visibility of the five classical planets relative to the Sun in 2026. For each planet you will find the dates of greatest elongation, conjunction and opposition, plus the periods when it is combust (closer than 8.5° to the Sun) and under the beams (closer than 15°). The year contains 20 elongation extremes in total.
| Date | Event | Elongation from Sun |
|---|---|---|
| January 21, 2026 | Superior conjunction (behind the Sun) | 2.1° |
| February 19, 2026 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening star) | 18.1° |
| March 7, 2026 | Inferior conjunction (between Earth and Sun) | 3.6° |
| April 3, 2026 | Greatest western elongation (morning star) | 27.8° |
| May 14, 2026 | Superior conjunction (behind the Sun) | 0.1° |
| June 15, 2026 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening star) | 24.5° |
| July 12, 2026 | Inferior conjunction (between Earth and Sun) | 4.8° |
| August 2, 2026 | Greatest western elongation (morning star) | 19.5° |
| August 27, 2026 | Superior conjunction (behind the Sun) | 1.7° |
| October 12, 2026 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening star) | 25.2° |
| November 4, 2026 | Inferior conjunction (between Earth and Sun) | 0.4° |
| November 21, 2026 | Greatest western elongation (morning star) | 19.6° |
Combust (<8.5°): January 8, 2026 to February 1, 2026; March 3, 2026 to March 10, 2026; May 7, 2026 to May 21, 2026; July 8, 2026 to July 17, 2026; August 20, 2026 to September 5, 2026; November 1, 2026 to November 7, 2026; December 17, 2026 to December 31, 2026
Under the beams / Sub Radiis (<15°): January 1, 2026 to February 10, 2026; February 26, 2026 to March 14, 2026; May 1, 2026 to May 27, 2026; July 3, 2026 to July 23, 2026; August 13, 2026 to September 14, 2026; October 28, 2026 to November 11, 2026; December 5, 2026 to December 31, 2026
Morning star: 193 days · Evening star: 172 days
| Date | Event | Elongation from Sun |
|---|---|---|
| January 6, 2026 | Superior conjunction (behind the Sun) | 0.7° |
| August 15, 2026 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening star) | 45.9° |
| October 24, 2026 | Inferior conjunction (between Earth and Sun) | 6.5° |
Combust (<8.5°): January 1, 2026 to February 10, 2026; October 21, 2026 to October 27, 2026
Under the beams / Sub Radiis (<15°): January 1, 2026 to March 9, 2026; October 16, 2026 to November 1, 2026
Morning star: 75 days · Evening star: 290 days
| Date | Event | Elongation from Sun |
|---|---|---|
| January 9, 2026 | Conjunction with the Sun (not visible) | 0.9° |
Combust (<8.5°): January 1, 2026 to February 13, 2026
Under the beams / Sub Radiis (<15°): January 1, 2026 to March 16, 2026
Morning star: 357 days · Evening star: 8 days
| Date | Event | Elongation from Sun |
|---|---|---|
| January 10, 2026 | Opposition (visible all night) | 179.7° |
| July 29, 2026 | Conjunction with the Sun (not visible) | 0.5° |
Combust (<8.5°): July 18, 2026 to August 9, 2026
Under the beams / Sub Radiis (<15°): July 9, 2026 to August 18, 2026
Morning star: 164 days · Evening star: 201 days
| Date | Event | Elongation from Sun |
|---|---|---|
| March 25, 2026 | Conjunction with the Sun (not visible) | 2.1° |
| October 4, 2026 | Opposition (visible all night) | 177.3° |
Combust (<8.5°): March 16, 2026 to April 3, 2026
Under the beams / Sub Radiis (<15°): March 8, 2026 to April 11, 2026
Morning star: 194 days · Evening star: 171 days
Elongation is the angle in the sky between a planet and the Sun. Mercury and Venus can never stray beyond a certain angle from the Sun, so for them greatest eastern elongation marks peak evening visibility and greatest western elongation peak morning visibility. For Mars, Jupiter and Saturn the peak is opposition: the planet sits opposite the Sun and is visible all night. In classical astrology a planet too close to the Sun is called combust and is held to lose its strength. For the interactive chart see the Planet Visibility Calendar.