The skies are blazing with astronomical events and supermoons this year! Catch the peak of the Lyrids Meteor Shower from 22 - 23 April 2026. Here are the perfect viewing tips and more about upcoming astronomical events.
Who can resist the allure of a supermoon? The Moon, Earth’s best celestial bestie, sure knows how to steal the spotlight and leave us all starry-eyed. Our fascination with this luminous neighbour has been around for ages — its magic so enchanted ancient cultures that they wove it into their folklore. But it’s not just the moon wowing us lately. From meteors to comets and planets, the cosmos has been putting on a show, and we’re here for all the cosmic magic!
Guess what? You and the little ones are in for a cosmic treat in Singapore in 2026 – here’s the latest space sighting to put on your calendar!
Catch the peak of the Lyrids Meteor Shower on 22 – 23 April 2026
The Lyrids Meteor Shower is one of the oldest known meteor showers (sightings date back to 687 BC in China!) and it’s set to occur once again. The Lyrids light up the night sky every year as Earth runs into the meteor debris trail on the third week of every April.
If the weather permits, stargazers can expect to see up to 20 meteors per hour streaking across the night sky when the meteor shower peaks between 22 to 23 April, exactly a year after its last occurrence!
But first, what are meteor showers all about? A meteor shower is a celestial event in which many meteors are observed to radiate or originate from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth’s atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories, resulting in celestial displays streaking across the skies.
How to view the Lyrids Meteor Shower April 2026 from Singapore
No fancy gadgets are needed — just step outside after 1am. Find a dark spot away from city lights, like parks, beaches, or reservoirs, for the best view. Clear skies are key, so check the weather before heading out!
Supermoons in Singapore 2026
What’s a supermoon?
What makes a moon super? No, it isn’t about sporting a cape and saving the planet! To understand supermoons, we’ve got to go back to the classroom and learn the following:
The moon orbits the Earth in an ellipse, an oval that brings it closer to and farther from Earth as it goes around. The farthest point is the apogee, about 405,500 kilometres from Earth on average. The closest point is called the perigee at about 363,300 kilometres from Earth. Are you still with us?
A supermoon occurs when the full moon appears at the perigee, where the moon is closest to Earth. Hence, we see a slightly larger and brighter full moon.
List of Supermoons in 2026
Wolf Moon – 3 January 2026
Beaver Moon – 24 November 2026
Cold Moon – 23 December 2026
Past space sightings
The Geminid Meteor Shower from 13 to 14 December and Ursid Meteor Shower from 22–23 December 2025
The Geminid meteor shower, one of the year’s most dazzling celestial shows, peaked between 13 and 14 December 2025. The Geminids are known for their bright, speedy meteors. Unlike most showers, which come from comets, these “shooting stars” come from asteroid 3200 Phaethon. As Earth zips through the debris it left behind, tiny rocks slam into our atmosphere at high speed, creating fiery streaks of light. Expect up to 120 meteors per hour streaking across Singapore’s night sky, leaving glowing trails behind them!
The Ursid Meteor Shower is a smaller meteor shower that peaked around 22 to 23 December. This meteor shower is linked to comet 8P/Tuttle, with meteors radiating from the constellation Ursa Minor. You may have spotted five to 10 meteors per hour on average, though occasional bursts may produce more. The best viewing time for the Ursid Meteor Shower is during pre-dawn hours in dark, open areas, and no equipment is required!
The Cold Moon made an appearance on 4 December 2025
The Cold Moon gets its name from being a signifier of the beginning of winter and the onset of the darker, colder months in other parts of the world! People in Singapore enjoyed the Cold Moon from anywhere with clear skies, with panoramic vantage points such as Marina Barrage, East Coast Park and the Southern Ridges offering especially striking views.
7 October and 7 – 10 October 2025: The Harvest Moon
The Harvest Moon is a full moon named after its historical role of helping farmers gather crops under its evening glow. In the same period, from 7 to 10 October 2025, there was the Draconids meteor shower! The meteor shower peaked on the evening of 8 October after 8pm. Originating from Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, the Draconids are known for their unpredictability – while usually modest at under 10 meteors per hour, they have historically produced spectacular bursts with thousands of meteors streaking across the sky.
21 September: Saturn reached opposition and was illuminated brightly, visible from Singapore
We’re so excited for the upcoming space phenomenon this month: Saturn will reach opposition on 21 September! What does that mean? In our Solar System, an opposition occurs when Earth lies directly between the Sun and another planet or planetary body, forming an imaginary straight line connecting all three. When Saturn is in opposition, it will shine at its brightest for the year!
Did you know? Saturn oppositions are approximately 378 days apart, making the next opposition slated for October 2026! If you have a telescope, even better! Looking through a telescope will show off Saturn’s iconic rings and even some of its moons (Saturn has a total of 274 moons, according to NASA!).
30 July and 12 – 13 August 2025: Delta Aquariids and the Perseids meteor showers, visible from Singapore
The Delta Aquariids and the Perseids meteor showers make their annual return and light up the night skies once again. The Delta Aquariids was first discovered in 1986 and is named for its radiant point, the constellation Aquarius, and the constellation’s third brightest star, Delta. The Perseids meteor shower is renowned for bright meteors that often leave long, glowing trails of light and colour across the night sky – definitely one to keep an eye out for!
If the weather permits, stargazers can expect to see up to two to five meteors per hour for the Delta Aquariids meteor shower and 50 to 100 meteors per hour for the Perseids meteor shower. You’ll be able to catch them streaking across the night sky when the meteor shower peaks on 30 July 2025 and 12 to 13 August 2025. Fainter meteors may be harder to spot, but observers can still try their luck from dark, open spaces like parks, beaches, and reservoirs.
But first, what are meteor showers all about? A meteor shower is a celestial event in which many meteors are observed to radiate or originate from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth’s atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories, resulting in celestial displays streaking across the skies.
How to view the Delta Aquariids and the Perseids Showers from Singapore
No fancy gadgets are needed — just step outside after midnight for the Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower and pre-dawn hours for the Perseids Meteor Shower. Find a dark spot away from city lights, like parks, beaches, or reservoirs, for the best view. Clear skies are key, so check the weather before heading out!
14 March 2025: ‘Blood Moon’ total lunar eclipse
The Blood Moon total lunar eclipse occured from 13 March 2025, 8:57pm PDT (14 March, 11:57am Singapore time) until 14 March 2025, 3am PDT (14 March, 6pm Singapore time), which unfortunately meant it was not visible from our side of the world.
We’re sad to miss the 2025 total lunar eclipse as it won’t be visible from Singapore, but you can read more about the phenomenon on NASA‘s website and keep your eyes peeled for a livestream!
January 2025: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus to align in the Planet Parade (and visible from Singapore!)
A “planet parade” is not a scientific term, and is also often referred to as planet alignment. It refers to the phenomenon when four or five bright planets are visible along a line in the sky at the same time from Earth. From now until 20 February 2025, six planets will be visible in the night sky! The six planets are Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus. However, only four of these planets will be visible to the naked eye. Look up when there’s a clear night sky from now until 20 February and try to spot Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars! You would require a telescope to view Neptune and Uranus clearly.
The next “planet parade” is set to occur in January 2036, when Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars, Neptune and Venus will be visible from East to West in the sky.
15 November 2024: Beaver Moon
Catch the moonrise (around 6.45pm) or and spot the Beaver Moon at an optimal viewing height after 7pm for the most dramatic views. When the moon is low on the horizon, it looks extra large and golden! You can spot the supermoon from anywhere in Singapore, but for the best experience, head to an open area with minimal light pollution.
Take a peaceful evening stroll along the East Coast Park beach and watch the moon reflect off the water. Head to the Marina Barrage. Pack a night picnic, bring along a kite, and enjoy a breathtaking moonrise with the iconic skyline as your backdrop. You can also head to Mount Faber and Bedok Reservoir for unobstructed views of the horizon, perfect for moon-gazing.
Clear skies are key, so check the forecast before heading out to ensure you get the best view of the moon.
14 – 20 October 2024: All about Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)
Keep your eyes on the skies for the next few days because we’re in for a celestial delight! Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) will traverse the skies from 14 to 20 October 2024. Plus, we’ve got the Hunter Supermoon happening right between that on 17 October.
First things first, what are comets?
Comets are icy space objects made of frozen gases, rocks, and dust from when the solar system was formed around 4.6 billion years ago. They orbit the Sun in long, oval-shaped paths that can take hundreds or thousands of years to complete. Comets look like fuzzy stars in the sky. As they get closer to the Sun, their ice turns into gas, giving them that blurry appearance. They also have two glowing tails — one made of gas and the other of dust — that trail behind as they move.
The Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) was discovered in 2023 by China’s Tsuchinshan Observatory and the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). ATLAS is a NASA-funded system that uses telescopes in Hawaii, Chile, and South Africa to scan the sky for asteroids and comets. The comet is getting closer to Earth and will be brightest this month.
It might be visible to the naked eye as it approaches Earth! If the weather is good, you can spot it around 5.30am in early October and after sunset from 14 to 20 October. It’ll be brightest on 14 October.
The next Total Lunar Eclipse will be visible from Singapore on 31 December 2028
According to NASA, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align so that the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow. In a total lunar eclipse, the entire Moon falls within the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra. When the Moon is within the umbra, it appears red-orange – hence the name Blood Moon!
Activities to do with the kiddos on the night of an astronomical event
Get your kids excited about the meteor showers and supermoons with some fun activities! It’s an opportunity for them to understand more about the Earth and sleep just a tad later. Here are some ideas to keep them entertained and informed:
1. Make a moon snack
Make moon gazing tasty with this yummy treat from Thingstoshareandremember! It’s simple, and kiddos can get in on the fun. This rice cake snack can be tweaked according to what you have on hand to mimic the moon’s craters and surface.
2. Create some moon craft
As you watch the moon rise in the sky (weather willing), get kiddos to create their very own foil art moon using the following instructions!
3. Read some moon-themed classics
These moon-themed classics are perfect for the occasion
4. Learn some facts about the moon
Teach the kiddos some cool facts about the moon. Check out this article from National Geographic.
Happy skywatching!
This article was originally written by Jay Panicker in 2023 and updated by Syazana Hishamuddin in 2025.
