Zodiacal light in 2026: When and where to see it?

What is zodiacal light?

Yuri Beletsky captured the zodiacal light from ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile — Yuri Beletsky captured the zodiacal light after dusk from ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. (Image credit: ESO/Y. Beletsky)

The zodiacal light is a faint, pyramid-shaped glow that extends upward from the horizon before dawn or after dusk. It is caused by sunlight reflecting off interplanetary dust particles in our solar system.

Best time to see the zodiacal light

The zodiacal light appears throughout the year. However, it is best visible around the equinoxes.

View from the Northern Hemisphere: Around the autumn equinox, from late August through early November, look for the zodiacal light aka false dawn in the eastern sky just before the morning twilight appears (around 90 minutes before sunrise).

Around the spring equinox, from late February through early May, look for the zodiacal light aka false dusk in the western sky just after the evening twilight completely fades (around 90 minutes after sunset).

View from the Southern Hemisphere: As the seasons are reversed—morning visibility occurs from late February through early May, and evening visibility occurs from late August through early November.

How to see the zodiacal light

The zodiacal light is best seen with the naked eye. All you need is a dark sky away from city lights. Try to observe it when the sky is moonless.

In 2026, the new moon will fall on September 11 and October 10. Therefore, the nights around September 11 and October 10 will be the best times to see the zodiacal light.

Why is the zodiacal light best visible around the equinoxes?

The inclination of the ecliptic to the horizon changes over the course of the year. This affects how high or low a planet, the moon, or the zodiacal light appears above the horizon in the morning or evening. (Image credit: Spaceandtelescope.com)

The zodiacal light follows the ecliptic—the path of the sun, moon, and planets across the sky—because most interplanetary dust particles orbit the sun roughly along the plane of the solar system.

Now, in either hemisphere, the ecliptic makes a steep angle (almost perpendicular) with the horizon on spring evenings and autumn mornings.

That’s why, around the spring equinox, the zodiacal light is best visible in the evening, while around the autumn equinox, it is best visible in the morning.

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