Weekly News & Updates
June 29, 2026 - Strawberry Moon Lights Up the Night Sky
June's Full "Strawberry Moon" reaches peak illumination on June 29, offering skywatchers an excellent opportunity to observe and photograph the full Moon rising in the southeastern sky.
June 21, 2026 - Summer Solstice Marks the Start of Astronomical Summer
The June Solstice occurs on June 21, bringing the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and marking the official start of astronomical summer.
June 17, 2026 - Rare Moon and Venus Occultation
On June 17, the Moon passes directly in front of Venus for observers across parts of Canada and the United States, creating one of the month's most notable skywatching events.
June 16, 2026 - Moon Joins a Multi-Planet Evening Lineup
From June 16 to 18, the crescent Moon appears alongside Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter in the western evening sky, creating a striking naked-eye planetary display.
June 15, 2026 - Mercury Reaches Best Evening Visibility
Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation on June 15, making it one of the best opportunities of the year for observers to spot the elusive planet after sunset.
June 11, 2026 - Mini Planet Parade Appears After Sunset
Mercury joins Venus and Jupiter from June 11 through 15, creating a compact "mini planet parade" low in the western sky shortly after sunset.
May 31, 2026 - Crescent Moon and Evening Sky Viewing
The waxing crescent Moon on May 31, 2026 offers an excellent opportunity for early evening observing, with clear views of lunar craters and earthshine visible shortly after sunset.
May 26, 2026 - Moon Near Mars in the Evening Sky
On the evenings of May 26 and 27, 2026, the Moon appears close to Mars in the western sky after sunset, making for an easy and visually striking target for backyard observers.
May 22, 2026 - Moon Passes Through Prominent Constellations
The Moon moves through Leo and into Virgo, providing a helpful guide for beginners learning to locate constellations.
May 18, 2026 - Last Quarter Moon
The Last Quarter Moon provides ideal conditions for observing lunar surface detail along the terminator line during late-night and early-morning hours.
May 12, 2026 - Full Moon
The Full Moon brightens the night sky, making it a great time for lunar observation but limiting visibility of faint deep-sky objects.
May 6–7, 2026 - Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower Peak
The Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks overnight, offering fast-moving meteors best viewed in the early morning hours before sunrise.
May 4, 2026 - First Quarter Moon
The First Quarter Moon provides excellent contrast for observing craters and पर्वत features along the lunar terminator in the evening sky.
May 2026 - Spring Galaxy Observing Season
Darker skies away from the Moon offer ideal conditions for observing galaxies such as those in the Virgo Cluster, making this a prime month for deep-sky viewing with telescopes.
April 30, 2026 - Bright Moon Near Spica
The Moon appears near the bright star Spica, offering an easy reference point for locating this prominent star in Virgo.
April 26, 2026 - Favorable Evening Planet Viewing Window
Several bright planets remain visible in the evening sky after sunset, giving observers a chance to locate them with binoculars or small telescopes before they set.
April 25, 2026 - Venus, Uranus, and Taurus Stars in One Field
Venus, Uranus, and several bright Taurus stars (including κ and υ Tauri) appear in the same region of sky, making for an attractive telescopic scene.
April 23, 2026 - Venus Uranus Close Conjunction
Venus passes just 45 arcminutes north of Uranus, offering a rare chance to spot the distant ice giant by using Venus as a guide.
April 22, 2026 - Lyrid Meteor Shower Peak
The Lyrid meteor shower peaks overnight, with no Moon interference this year, making it an excellent opportunity for Canadian observers to catch shooting stars under dark skies.
April 20, 2026 - Morning Planetary Lineup (Mars, Mercury, Saturn)
Mars, Mercury, and Saturn appear together in the predawn eastern sky, forming shifting patterns that are easy to spot without equipment.
April 19, 2026 - Moon Near the Pleiades
The crescent Moon appears just east of the Pleiades star cluster, creating a bright, easy binocular target in the western evening sky.
April 18 - Moon and Venus Conjunction
The waxing crescent Moon meets brilliant Venus in the western evening sky on April 18, forming a striking pair visible shortly after sunset — a perfect target for binoculars or small telescopes.
April 17 - Earthshine (Da Vinci Glow)
Observers can enjoy the subtle “earthshine” effect, when sunlight reflected from Earth softly illuminates the dark side of the crescent Moon — best seen just after dusk.
April 16 - Lyrid Meteor Shower Activity Begins
The Lyrid meteor shower begins increasing in activity ahead of its peak later in April, offering early chances to spot meteors after midnight.
April 14 - Darker Skies for Deep-Sky Observing
The Moon sets earlier in the evening between April 14 and April 18, creating darker skies that are ideal for observing star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies.
April 12 - Aurora Activity Across Canada
Space‑weather forecasts indicate elevated auroral activity around April 12 due to moderate geomagnetic disturbances, offering potential northern‑lights displays for Canadian stargazers at higher latitudes.
April 11 to 13 - First Quarter Moon Viewing Window
The Moon reaches its first quarter phase, providing excellent conditions to observe craters and surface detail along the terminator line.
April 7 - Evening Moon and Planet Pairings
The waxing Moon moves through the evening sky and can be seen near bright planets such as Jupiter or Mars, offering easy viewing opportunities for beginners with binoculars or small telescopes.
April 5, 2026 - Early Lyrid Meteor Activity Begins
Early activity from the upcoming Lyrid meteor shower began to appear, giving patient observers a chance to spot the first meteors ahead of the late-April peak.
April 4, 2026 - Comet C/2026 A1 Reaches Perihelion
Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) reached its closest point to the Sun, drawing increased attention from astronomers tracking its brightness and visibility.
April 3, 2026 - Mercury at Best Evening Visibility
Mercury reached a favorable evening elongation, making the typically hard-to-spot planet easier to see low in the western sky after sunset.
April 1, 2026 - Happy Artemis 2 day space fans!
For the first time since 1972, humans are heading back toward the moon! NASA gave the 'go' to fuel the rocket ahead of today's historic launch.
April 1, 2026 - Full Moon Observing Opportunity
The Full Moon lit up the night sky, offering an easy and rewarding observing session for beginners and experienced telescope users alike.
March 23, 2026 - Strong Aurora Displays Across Canada
A G3 geomagnetic storm produced widespread northern lights visible across much of Canada and beyond, giving skywatchers an excellent chance to observe vivid aurora activity.
March 23, 2026 - New kind of exoplanet revealed
L 98-59 d is a super-Earth exoplanet about 35 light-years from Earth and has a deep, global ocean of magma below its mantle,. Scientists thought it was likely volcanically active due to its sulfur atmosphere.
March 21, 2026 - More moons for Jupiter and Saturn
The Minor Planet Center announced 4 more moons for Jupiter and 11 for Saturn. Their new grand totals? Saturn has 285 and Jupiter has 101.
March 17, 2026 - Sungrazing comet getting brighter
The new comet, C/2026 A1 (MAPS), is brightening as it heads into the inner solar system. It’s a sungrazing comet that will get close to the sun in early April and it might put on quite a show around Easter if it survives. Some people are even calling it the Easter comet.
March 15, 2026 - New Website Feature
Our new Dark/Light Theme toggle lets you easily switch between modes, helping reduce laptop brightness strain and making the website more comfortable to view in any lighting. Located between "My Account" and "Wishlist" links at the top of the page
March 14, 2026 - Silverpit Crater was caused by an asteroid or comet smashing into the North Sea
Scientists say they can confirm that an enormous crater under the North Sea was caused by an asteroid or comet smashing into Earth 43–46 million years ago with the resulting impact likely producing a tsunami that towered 100 meters (328 feet) high.
March 2, 2026 - Canadian led team uncovers ‘ghost galaxy’
A Canadian-led team has identified an entire galaxy that’s almost completely invisible called a “dark galaxy.” It lies roughly 250 million light-years away and is thought to be mostly made up of mysterious dark matter. Just a scattering of stars can be seen in what appears to be a faint smudge deep the night sky.
March 1, 2026 - 800,000 new objects found in one night
The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located in northern Chile, boasts the biggest digital camera on Earth and is expected to produce up to seven million alerts of asteroids, glowing black holes and cosmic explosions every night. It's already come up with 800,000 alerts during its first night tracking the sky.
Feb 26, 2026 - Catch Jupiter Glowing
If your sky is clear early tonight, be sure to check out the east-southeast sky about an hour or so after sundown. There, located about two-thirds up from the horizon, you'll find a waxing gibbous moon and a brilliant Jupiter.
Feb 24, 2026 - Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Watchman Bursts as “Ice Volcano” Erupts
After a recent explosive outburst, Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is bright enough to see in a medium-sized telescope.
Feb 23, 2026 - Solar Flare Breakthrough
A new discovery explains how plasma cools rapidly after solar flares by identifying elemental iron surging upward, which could improve space weather forecasting.
Feb 22, 2026 - Early Universe Galaxy
A "Jellyfish Galaxy" with gaseous tentacles was discovered just 5 billion years after the Big Bang, challenging previous theories on early galaxy evolution.
Feb 21, 2026 - Webb Telescope Discoveries
The James Webb Space Telescope mapped auroras on Uranus in 3D for the first time, providing crucial data on giant planet atmospheres
Feb 20, 2026 - Upcoming Comet
A new comet (C/2026 A1) from the Kreutz family is projected to potentially produce a significant tail by April 2026.
Feb 20, 2026 - SpaceX Success
A Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 29 Starlink satellites and executed a rare landing in The Bahamas.
Feb 19, 2026 - NASA fuels Artemis 2
NASA is back at it with a critical Artemis 2 moon rocket fueling test, the second this month. It's the second such test the Artemis 2 SLS has had to undergo, after liquid hydrogen (LH2) leaks during its first WDR on Feb. 2 ended that campaign prematurely.
Feb 18, 2026 - Dwarf Mini and Dwarf 3 shipment arrived early !
They are in !!! Items are expected to sell out fast so secure your order now before stock runs out for this batch. Don't wait until they are all gone.
Feb 17, 2026 - Happy Lunar New Year
Feb 16, 2026 - Webb Detects Hydrogen Sulfide Gas on Three Super-Jupiters
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have for the first time identified hydrogen sulfide gas in the atmospheres of three gas-giant exoplanets orbiting HR 8799, a 30-million-year-old star located in the constellation of Pegasus. They’ve found that the sulfur must have originated from solid material in the planets’ birth disk
Feb 13, 2026 - Telescopes Canada is closed for Family day
Our warehouse will be closed from Feb 14 to 16 to celebrate Family day. Please call us to schedule your pick up for a future date/time.
Feb 12, 2026 - Celestron Launches Lumina Program, a Buy-One, Give-One Initiative Supporting Astronomy Education
For every Lumina telescope sold, Celestron will donate an identical Lumina telescope to a K-12 school in the United States, helping students gain real experience using astronomy equipment in classrooms, extracurricular STEM programs, and school-led events.
Feb 10, 2026 - DwarfLab app V3.3.8 now available for download
Available for iOS and Android, this update focuses on one thing; making shooting feel more natural.
Feb 9, 2026 - Witness the rare "Ring of Fire" solar eclipse
On February 17, a special kind of solar eclipse where the Moon appears to be smaller than the sun will occur resulting in a "ring of fire".
Feb 8, 2026 - Catch the Alpha Centaurid meteor shower
Alpha Centaurid meteor shower (α-Centaurids) will reach its peak on February 8, producing up to 6 shooting stars per hour.
Feb 4, 2026 - NASA delays Artemis II launch
NASA says March is the earliest window for a launch of the Artemis II mission after it found a liquid hydrogen leak.
Feb 3, 2026 - New Moonbits from Tim Hortons
The limited-edition Moonbits box celebrates the upcoming Artemis II mission. Only in participating London, Ontario stores.
Feb 2, 2026 - ZWO order updates
Seestar S30 Pro pre-orders are starting to ship. To reserve yours, order now. AM7 is available mid-February.