Lunar occultation of Jupiter in October 2026
When it occurs: A lunar occultation of Jupiter will occur on October 6, 2026, when the 20% Illuminated waning crescent moon passes directly in front of the planet. As a result, Jupiter will disappear behind the bright lunar limb and reappear to the right of the dark lunar limb about an hour later.
This is the second of eight lunar occultations of Jupiter that will occur in nearly consecutive months through May 12, 2027.
Visibility: The occultation will be visible in the pre-dawn hours from eastern North America and the Caribbean and in the late morning to early afternoon from Africa.
For observers outside the occultation path, a close conjunction of the moon and Jupiter will be visible on the morning of October 6, 2026.
The exact timing of the occultation depends on your location. Here are the disappearance and reappearance times for selected cities. All times are local.
| City | Disappearance | Reappearance |
|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg (Canada) | 3:43 a.m. | 4:02 a.m. |
| Toronto (Canada) | 4:25 a.m. | 5:21 a.m. |
| Denver (United States) | Not visible | 3:10 a.m. |
| Kansas City (United States) | 3:18 a.m. | 4:13 a.m. |
| Chicago (United States) | 3:21 a.m. | 4:16 a.m. |
| Washington, D.C. (United States) | 4:20 a.m. | 5:23 a.m. |
| Miami (United States) | 4:20 a.m. | 5:08 a.m. |
| New York City (United States) | 4:22 a.m. | 5:26 a.m. |
| Mexico City (Mexico) | Not visible | 2:54 a.m. |
| Havana (Cuba) | 4:24 a.m. | 5:00 a.m. |
How to see: For observers in North America and the Caribbean, the occultation will be easily visible to the naked eye because it occurs during the pre-dawn hours. It will be easy to spot Jupiter before and after the occultation, as it shines at magnitude –1.7, brighter than all the stars.
You can use a pair of binoculars or a telescope to closely monitor the event. Through a telescope, you will see Jupiter’s moon Europa disappear behind the bright lunar limb first, followed by Callisto, Io, Jupiter’s main body, and finally Ganymede. The lunar limb takes about 65 seconds to completely cover Jupiter’s main body.
For viewers in New York City, the lunar limb touches Europa at 4:18 a.m. local time, Callisto at 4:20 a.m., Io at 4:20 a.m., Jupiter’s main body at 4:22 a.m., and Ganymede at 4:25 a.m.
For observers in Africa, the occultation will be challenging to observe with the naked eye because it occurs in broad daylight.
During the occultation, the moon and Jupiter will lie about 52° west of the sun, so you should be extra cautious when pointing your optics toward them. Never point your optics toward the sun unless you are using a proper solar filter. Looking at or near the sun without a proper solar filter can cause permanent eye damage.
Lunar occultations of Jupiter in 2026–2027
Here are the dates of lunar occultations of Jupiter in 2026–2027:
| Date of occultation | Visibility |
|---|---|
| September 8, 2026 | Eastern Russia, Canada, most of U.S., the Caribbean, and Greenland |
| October 6, 2026 | Parts of North America, the Caribbean, and Africa |
| November 2, 2026 | Parts of southeastern Asia and Australia |
| November 30, 2026 | Southern South America |
| February 20, 2027 | Parts of the South Pacific Ocean |
| March 19, 2027 | Much of Australia and New Zealand |
| April 15, 2027 | Much of Southern Africa and Madagascar |
| May 12, 2027 | Parts of the South Pacific Ocean |
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