Astronomical Events in May and June 2026: A Calendar for Canadian Observers

Every year, spring marks the start of the peak stargazing season in Quebec. With warmer nights and increasingly clear skies, May and June 2026 promise to be particularly rich in unmissable celestial events. Discover the main astronomical events with our experts and get your telescope ready to observe the stars and planets!

Key dates:

• May 6: Peak of the Eta Aquarids, the meteor shower originating from Halley’s Comet

• May 31: Blue Moon (the second full moon of May)

• May 14–June 7: The diurnal Arietids

• June 9: Great conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in Gemini

• June 15: New Moon

• June 17: Daytime occultation of Venus by the Moon (a rare event visible from from parts of Canada)

• June 21: Summer solstice, first day of astronomical summer

• June 22: Peak of the June Bootids, an unpredictable meteor shower

Major Astronomical Events in May 2026

May is a month of transition: the nights are still long enough to allow for extended observing sessions, before the June solstice drastically shortens them. It’s also the perfect time to point your telescope at globular clusters and spring galaxies before they disappear toward the western horizon.

1. Eta Aquarids: Halley’s Comet Meteor Shower (Peak on May 6)

The Eta Aquarids will reach their peak on May 6, 2026, unfortunately just five days after the Full Moon. Moonlight will make it difficult to see the faintest meteors, but the brightest ones will remain visible.

On a clear, dark night, the Eta Aquarids can produce up to 50 meteors per hour from the southern latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. North of the equator, 10 to 30 shooting stars per hour can be seen. From Montreal or Quebec City, expect about ten shooting stars per hour under favorable conditions.

Where do the Eta Aquarids come from?

This meteor shower is caused by debris from Halley’s Comet, which passes close to the Sun every 75–76 years. Every May, Earth passes through its trail of cosmic dust, which streaks through the atmosphere at about 65 km/s. The same comet is also responsible for the Orionids in October.

Viewing Tips 

Go outside before sunrise, between 2:00 and 5:00 a.m., just before dawn, when the radiant in Aquarius is highest in the sky. Get away from light pollution (Laurentian regional parks, the countryside, etc.). Block the Moon behind a building or hill to preserve your night vision. No equipment is needed:  lie down and watch with the naked eye at the end of the night.

Recommended equipment 

To photograph meteor trails, the ZWO Seestar S50 allows for real-time image stacking and captures the brightest meteors against the backdrop of the Milky Way.

2. The New Moon on May 16: The First Ideal Window for Deep-Sky Observation

The New Moon of May 2026 will occur on Saturday, May 16, at 10:03 p.m. Since the Moon will be absent from the night sky for a few nights around this date, this is the best opportunity in May to observe faint objects without the interference of moonlight.

May brings the first major targets of the summer season into view: the galaxies in Virgo and Coma Berenices are still well positioned in the south, while the globular clusters in Hercules begin to rise in the east in the middle of the night. A moonless night in mid-May offers the ideal combination of spring objects still accessible and the first summer targets appearing on the horizon.

What objects should you observe during the May New Moon?

This is the perfect time to target the galaxies of the Virgo Cluster (M87, M84, M86), the globular cluster M3 in Canes Venatici—one of the most beautiful in the spring sky—or the Sombrero Galaxy M104, notable for its distinctive dust ring. These are challenging targets that require a moonless sky to reveal their finer details.

3. The Blue Moon on May 31

The second full moon of May 2026, known as the Blue Moon, will occur on May 31. Contrary to what its name suggests, it is not blue: it is simply the second full moon in a single calendar month, a purely calendar-based phenomenon that occurs approximately every 2.5 years.

Is the Blue Moon really blue?

No. The term refers solely to the second full moon in a single calendar month. In 2026, it also coincides with the lunar apogee: this Full Moon will occur near the lunar apogee, making it the smallest Micromoon of the year. It will therefore appear slightly smaller and less bright than an ordinary full moon. It’s a perfect phenomenon to capture in astrophotography.

4. The Daytime Arietids: The “Secret” Meteor Shower of May–June

Although little known to the general public, this meteor shower is actually the strongest daytime meteor shower of the year. It begins on May 14 and peaks on June 7. Since its radiant is located near the Sun, most of the meteors streak across the sky in broad daylight and remain invisible to the naked eye. However, a few particularly bright ones can be spotted in the hour before dawn, skimming the eastern horizon.

Can you really observe a meteor shower in broad daylight?

Not directly, but the Ariids are an exception. Indeed, the brightest ones can streak across the sky at dawn, when the radiant in the constellation Aries is not yet too close to the Sun. Keep an eye out in the 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise, looking toward the east.

Major Astronomical Events in June 2026

June is the month of the summer solstice and its short nights. True astronomical darkness lasts only 4 to 5 hours in Montreal around the solstice. This limitation is more than made up for by two major events: a major planetary conjunction and a rare occultation of Venus visible from Canada.

1. Major Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Gemini (June 9)

On June 9, Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in the sky, will appear very close to each other, just 1°30′ apart in the constellation Gemini. Venus will shine at magnitude -4.0, while Jupiter will reach magnitude -1.9. 

This close approach is visible to the naked eye, starting at dusk toward the west-northwest. Point your telescope at the two planets using a wide-field eyepiece (25mm or larger). You’ll be able to see Jupiter’s atmospheric bands and its Galilean moons just a few degrees from Venus, all within the same field of view.

How to photograph the Venus-Jupiter conjunction on June 9?

Use a stable tripod with a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a focal length between 50 and 200mm, and an exposure time of 2 to 8 seconds at ISO 800. With a telescope on a motorized mount like the ZWO AM5N, you can extend the exposure times and capture both planets in detail within the same field of view.

Recommended equipment 

The ZWO AM3N mount paired with an apochromatic refractor like the Askar 71F offers an ideal field of view for capturing this conjunction in a single image.

2. The New Moon on June 15: The Best Window for Deep-Sky Observation

The June New Moon will occur on June 15 at 2:54 a.m. GMT, which is during the night of June 14–15 for observers in Quebec. When the Moon is new, it rises and sets with the Sun: the night sky is then completely devoid of moonlight, offering the best conditions of the year for observing the faintest objects.

June is a particularly good month for admiring the Milky Way, whose luminous, star-rich center is well positioned in the sky. Take advantage of this window of a few nights around June 15 to point your telescope at the nebulae, globular clusters, and galaxies of the summer sky—targets that remain invisible as soon as the Moon is present.

What objects to observe during the June New Moon?

June places the most beautiful treasures of the summer sky in the heavens: the globular cluster M13 in Hercules (the most beautiful in the northern hemisphere), the Ring Nebula M57 in Lyra, and the Eagle Nebula M16 in Serpens, made famous by the “Pillars of Creation” photographed by Hubble. All perfect targets for a moonless night.

Recommended equipment 

A color CMOS camera such as the Player One Neptune-C paired with a Newtonian telescope or APO refractor telescope will allow you to capture the subtle colors of these nebulae in just a few dozen minutes.

3. Daytime occultation of Venus by the Moon (June 17): a rare event visible from Canada

On June 17, the Moon will pass in front of Venus in broad daylight, creating a rare and spectacular sight. The event will be fully visible from most of the continental United States, as well as from certain regions of Canada. 

The 11% illuminated Moon will obscure Venus (magnitude -4.0) for observers in Canada and certain South American countries. The occultation will take place in broad daylight, but it will still be observable because both objects are sufficiently bright. 

How to observe the occultation of Venus from Montreal?

Use an app like Stellarium or Sky Tonight to find the exact time for your location. First, locate the thin crescent Moon in the blue sky, then watch as Venus disappears behind the Moon and reappears on the other side. A telescope or binoculars mounted on a stable tripod are essential.

Important: During any daytime observation with an optical instrument, maintain a safe distance from the Sun. Never point your telescope at the Sun without an approved solar filter.

Recommended equipment  

A Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope with an approved solar filter is ideal for safe observation in broad daylight.

4. Summer Solstice: June 21, 2026

On June 21, 2026, summer will begin in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the longest day of the year in Quebec and the official start of astronomical summer. For Montreal astronomers, true night lasts only a few hours, from around 11:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.

This solstice challenge is also a unique opportunity because the extended twilight hours provide a sky that remains colorful in the background. It’s ideal for photographing the Moon or the planets with a luminous atmosphere that winter nights don’t allow.

5. June Bootids: The Unpredictable Meteor Shower (June 22)

The June Bootids originate from the periodic comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke. This meteor shower is unpredictable. It exhibited unusual activity in 1998 (50 to 100 meteors per hour) and in 2004 (20 to 50 meteors per hour). 

In 2026, the June Bootids are expected to peak on June 22 around 1:00 a.m. GMT, and no major bursts of activity are forecast. Expect a few bright, slow-moving meteors per hour—a quiet but pleasant sight to behold on short summer nights.

Can the Bootids really surprise us?

Yes, and that is precisely what makes them fascinating. The outbursts of 1998 and 2004 were completely unexpected. Keep an eye on the IMO (International Meteor Organization) bulletins in the days leading up to the peak. If an outburst is detected, conditions in Quebec would make it easy to enjoy the show from your backyard.

Summary table: Astronomical calendar for May and June 2026

Frequently Asked Questions About Astronomy in Spring and Summer in Canada

1. Are the nights too short in June to observe the sky in Quebec?

This is the main challenge of the season, but not a reason to give up. The Venus-Jupiter conjunction (June 9) can be observed in the evening starting at dusk, and the occultation of Venus (June 17) takes place during the day. The New Moon on June 15 also offers a window of a few hours in the middle of the night, enough time to target nebulae and star clusters with a smart telescope like the Seestar S30 Pro, which is capable of producing remarkable images in just a few minutes.

2. Do I need a telescope to enjoy the events in May and June?

Not necessarily. Meteor showers and bright planetary conjunctions can be seen with the naked eye. However, for the Venus occultation or to see the details of the Blue Moon, a telescope or binoculars will greatly enhance the experience. Smart telescopes like the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro or the DwarfLab DWARF III allow beginners to capture beautiful images without a steep learning curve.

3. Where can you observe the night sky in Quebec to avoid light pollution?

The most popular sites among Quebec amateur astronomers are Mont-Mégantic National Park (an International Dark Sky Reserve), the Laurentians region north of Montreal, and the Mauricie region. If you travel at least 50 km away from urban centers, the difference is spectacular.

4. Which app should you use to track astronomical events in real time?

Stellarium (free, very comprehensive) and Sky Tonight are the go-to apps for locating planets, constellations, and events based on your GPS location. For meteor shower alerts, the IMO (International Meteor Organization) calendar is the authoritative source.

5. What are the best months for stargazing in Canada?

The most popular months are August (Perseids), December (Geminids), and January (long nights, and when planets are often in opposition). May and June are excellent for bright planets and the first mild nights, before the peak season that culminates with the Perseids in mid-August.