THE SKY RIGHT NOW
Last checked 26 October 2026
This page is temporary.
By next year most of what follows will be useless, which is exactly why it lives here rather than in the permanent guide.
These are the things worth keeping in mind between now and the end of 2026.
Southern Taurids
Only around five meteors per hour under ideal dark skies, but Taurids are known for bright fireballs. The Moon is a waning crescent at about a quarter illuminated, so conditions are fairly kind.
Northern Taurids
Another small shower, again with the possibility of bright fireballs. The Moon is only a very thin waxing crescent, which makes this one worth remembering.
Leonids
The International Meteor Organization gives a theoretical peak rate around fifteen per hour under ideal conditions. The Moon is a waxing crescent and will hide some fainter meteors while it is up.
Geminids
This is the one I would circle. The Geminids are one of the strongest annual showers. The IMO gives a theoretical ZHR of about 150 under ideal conditions, with only a thin waxing crescent Moon in 2026. Your actual count will be lower, sometimes much lower, but the conditions are unusually good.
If there is one winter night when you put on too many layers and sit somewhere dark staring at the sky, this is probably it.
Supermoon
NASA lists a full Moon close enough to perigee to count as a supermoon. Expect something a little larger and brighter than average, not a Moon twice its normal size.
Another supermoon
Christmas Eve brings another supermoon in 2026. A bright full Moon is not ideal for faint stars, but over Kerry on a clear winter night it still seems a reasonable thing to go outside for.
Late 2026
Saturn remains an evening object after its October opposition. Mars and Jupiter become particularly noticeable later at night and around midnight as the year moves towards December, with several close Moon–Mars–Jupiter groupings in November and December.
You do not need to find every planet. Once somebody points out Jupiter, you normally stop confusing it with an ordinary star.
Nothing to plan the night around
As of 26 October 2026, the brightest comet in current observational lists is 10P/Tempel at roughly magnitude 11 by recent observations. That is far below naked-eye visibility.
So there is no spectacular obvious comet we would tell a guest to expect right now.
If that changes, this is the page that should change with it.
Check the conditions, not the calendar
Aurora is not an annual appointment. If solar activity becomes strong and Ireland has a realistic chance of seeing it, check the Met Éireann / MagIE data, then check the cloud cover.
The Sun may cooperate and Kerry weather may not.
That is fairly normal.