Catch a rare lunar occultation of Jupiter plus Saturn at opposition in early October

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: It's a busy skywatching month ahead. The first full week of October sees two top-notch skywatching events, with Saturn reaching opposition and the moon occulting Jupiter for North America on Oct. 6.

This month's occultation of Jupiter by the moon is one of the best-placed and top skywatching events for 2026. The event takes place in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Oct. 6, centered on 10:16 Universal Time/6:16 a.m. The moon is a 20% illuminated waning crescent when it covers up Jupiter, meaning the illuminated side of the moon will lead the way as Jupiter disappears behind it.

Jupiter will reappear from behind the moon's dark limb. The moon moves by its own apparent diameter of half a degree about once every hour, though ingress and egress times will vary based on your location. Unlike last month's daytime event, this month's occultation of Jupiter occurs under predawn skies for the eastern contiguous United States (CONUS) and Canada.

The IOTA has a list of ingress/egress times for select sites along the path. This event takes place during mutual transit season for Jupiter's moons, currently underway. Jupiter, at magnitude -1.9, is 34" in apparent size and will take a full minute to disappear or reappear from behind the moon.

This leisurely affair will lend itself to observing and recording on video, and the nighttime side of the moon lit by earthshine should round out a very photogenic celestial scene. The next good lunar occultation of Jove for the CONUS isn't until the middle of the next decade, on Sept. 28, 2034. Next up, Saturn reaches opposition for 2026 on Oct. 4.

Falling near last month's equinox, this puts Saturn in the rare position of straying just into the corner of the non-zodiacal constellation Cetus the Whale. The current tilt of Saturn's rings is 12 degrees in late 2026, widening from edge-on in 2025. The rings will again reach their widest tilt in 2031.