The Western Dragon

02/16/2026

🌌 COSMIC CALENDAR 2026 ULTIMATE SKYWATCHER'S GUIDE FEBRUARY-SEPTEMBER 🔭
📅 Your Complete Viewing Schedule
February through September 2026 delivers extraordinary celestial events including Antarctica Ring of Fire February 17, six-planet parade February 22-28, total lunar eclipse Blood Moon March 3, Artemis II crewed lunar flyby March 6-11, March equinox spring begins March 20, Lyrids meteor shower April 22, Eta Aquariids May 5-6, Blue Moon May 31, Venus Jupiter ultra-close conjunction June 9, Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch September 2026.

🔴 Eclipse Events Totality and Annularity
February 17 Antarctica annular eclipse features Ring of Fire visible partial South America Africa requiring solar glasses throughout. March 3 total lunar eclipse Blood Moon displays 65 minutes totality visible Americas Asia Pacific with naked-eye safe viewing optimal 10:47 PM ET. Both represent rare opportunities capturing eclipse photography requiring proper equipment and timing.

🪐 Planetary Events Spectacular Alignments
February 22-28 six-planet parade shows Mercury Venus Saturn Jupiter naked-eye plus Uranus Neptune optics visible worldwide evening sky 6:00-8:00 PM ET. February 26 Venus Mercury pass 0.6 degrees separation western evening sky 6:30 PM ET. March 8 Venus Saturn align 1.0 degrees separation 7:00 PM ET. June 9 Venus Jupiter achieve 0.3 degrees ultra-close separation creating spectacular naked-eye display western evening sky 8:30 PM ET.

☄️ Meteor Showers Dark Sky Spectacles
April 22 Lyrids radiate from constellation Lyra near bright star Vega producing 18 meteors hourly during moonless conditions best viewing 2:00 AM through dawn ET requiring naked-eye dark skies. May 5-6 Eta Aquariids sourced from Halley's Comet debris stream deliver 50-60 meteors hourly with 83 percent moon interference best viewing 3:00 AM through dawn ET favoring US viewers.

🚀 Space Missions Historic Launches
March 6-11 Artemis II launches from Kennedy Space Center sending four astronauts on crewed lunar flyby mission first since 1972 Apollo 17 viewable NASA Live online streams. September 2026 Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches targeting dark energy exoplanets destination L2 Point operated NASA representing next-generation astronomical observatory advancing cosmic discovery.

02/16/2026

Happy Years of the Horse

Two eclipses. Two weeks apart. One blocks the Sun. The other turns the Moon blood red.

🔥 February 17: Annular Solar Eclipse ("Ring of Fire")
The Moon will pass in front of the Sun, covering 96% of its face but leaving a blazing ring of sunlight around the edges. The full ring of fire will only be visible from a narrow path across western Antarctica for about 2 minutes and 20 seconds. A partial eclipse, where the Sun appears as if something took a bite out of it, will be visible from parts of southern Africa (including South Africa, Mozambique, and Madagascar) and the very southern tips of Chile and Argentina. For most of the world, livestreams will be the way to watch this one.

⚠️ Never look at the Sun during any phase of a solar eclipse without certified eclipse glasses.

🌕 March 3: Total Lunar Eclipse ("Blood Moon")
Exactly two weeks later, the full Worm Moon will drift into Earth's shadow and turn a deep coppery red for about 58 minutes. Unlike a solar eclipse, this one is safe to watch with the naked eye and visible from a much larger portion of the planet.
The best views of totality will be from eastern Asia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and western North America. The rest of North and Central America will see the Moon set during totality. Central Asia and parts of South America will catch the partial phases. Europe and Africa will miss this one entirely.

🔭 Totality runs from 11:04 to 12:03 UTC on March 3. During the eclipse, the Moon will be in the constellation Leo, near the bright star Regulus. With the Moon dimmed, surrounding stars will become easier to spot.

This is also the last total lunar eclipse anywhere on Earth until New Year's Eve 2028-2029. So if you have clear skies, don't let this one pass you by.

02/01/2026

A winter Moon worth looking up for! ❄️🌕

Tomorrow night, the Full Snow Moon will shine at its brightest, lighting up the sky with a crisp, silvery glow. Named by early Native American tribes for the deep snows of February, this full Moon feels perfectly timed with the heart of winter.

Under clear skies, the Moon will be visible worldwide and will appear among the stars of the constellation Cancer. Keep an eye on the surrounding sky too — not far away, you may spot Regulus, the brilliant blue-white star known as the Heart of the Lion in Leo, adding a touch of sparkle to the scene.

Step outside, take a moment, and enjoy this calm and classic lunar display.
Clear skies and happy Moon-watching! 🌌

01/25/2026

More Guster Funday with his Favorite toy

01/25/2026

Guster Funday- he can turn on his favorite toy by himself.

01/24/2026

Moon Fun for February

February 1 — The Full Snow Moon
Winter’s brightest moon rises, lighting the night sky across the world.

February 17 — Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse
Over Antarctica, the Sun becomes a glowing ring. A partial eclipse touches southern South America and southern Africa.

February 26 — Venus and Mercury Converge
Just after sunset, the two inner planets meet low in the western sky.

February 28 — A Rare Planetary Parade
Six planets share the evening sky.
Mercury, Venus, and Saturn cluster near the horizon.
Jupiter shines higher, near the Moon.
Uranus and Neptune join quietly, visible only with optics.

March 3 — Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)
The Moon turns deep red, visible across Asia, Australia, the Americas, and the Pacific.

March 8 — Venus Meets Saturn
A calm, elegant pairing glows at dusk in the western sky.

These moments arrive silently.
They don’t announce themselves.
They simply happen — whether we’re watching or not.

Look up.
The universe is on schedule.

Clear skies.

01/22/2026

Tomorrow

Tomorrow — January 23 | Moon Meets Saturn & Neptune 🪐🌙

Look up tomorrow evening for a beautiful triple conjunction in the sky! The Moon, Saturn, and distant Neptune will appear close together, creating a peaceful and eye-catching celestial scene.

🔭 What to look for: • The Moon and Saturn will be easy to spot with the naked eye
• Neptune will be very faint — binoculars or a telescope needed
• Best viewed just after sunset, low in the western sky

This rare alignment is perfect for skywatchers, photographers, and anyone who loves the night sky. Don’t miss this cosmic smile in the heavens! 🌌

📸 If you capture it, share your photos in the group!

01/21/2026

The more you know

A North Texas couple admitted to smuggling unregistered pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico.

01/11/2026

Happy Caturday: Guster and Jasper "fighting" really playing

01/03/2026

Cool

🌕☄️🌞 Cosmic triple-header TOMORROW: the first full supermoon of the year, the Quadrantid meteor shower peak, and perihelion — Earth’s closest point to the Sun.

✨ This combo won’t line up again until 2045✨

🌕 Supermoon (Perigee + Full Moon)
The Moon is reaching perigee, its closest point to Earth this orbit, at the same time it becomes full — the Wolf Moon. This produces a supermoon, appearing noticeably larger and brighter than average, with moonlight intense enough to sharpen nighttime shadows.

☀️ Perihelion — Earth’s Closest Point to the Sun
Even as winter grips the Northern Hemisphere, Earth is actually making its closest approach to the Sun of the entire year. We’re about 3 million miles closer than we are in July, which causes our planet to travel at its fastest orbital speed, racing around the Sun at nearly 67,000 mph.

☄️ Quadrantid Meteor Shower Peak
Earth is also passing through a dense debris stream left behind by an ancient asteroid, triggering the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower.
Under ideal dark skies, the Quadrantids can produce 40–100 meteors per hour. However, this year’s bright supermoon will significantly reduce visibility, meaning most observers may only spot a handful per hour. The good news: the Quadrantids are famous for bright fireballs, which can still punch through the moonlight and leave glowing trails across the sky.

🔭🌌 If skies are clear tonight, take a moment to look up.

01/01/2026