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Update 1 April 2026 08:36 a.m. CDT: The countdown is underway, and the Artemis rocket is being fueled with super-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen in preparation for launch. Launch is still scheduled for the beginning of the launch window at 5:24 p.m. CDT. The Dome@Home online watch party (on the Museum’s Facebook page and YouTube channel) will begin at 3:00 p.m. today and feature feeds and content from across NASA and the Canadian Space Agency.

Past updates:

Update 06:48 a.m. CDT: Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson has given the GO to fuel the giant Space Launch System rocket. Over the next several hours, liquid hydrogen and oxygen will fill the orange fuel tank of the rocket’s core stage and the upper ICPS (Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Unit) stage. Launch is still targeting the beginning of the 2-hour launch window at 5:24 p.m. CDT.

Update 31 Match 2026 14:01 p.m. CDT: The Artemis II countdown continues throughout the day as launch controllers prepare NASA’s most powerful rocket ever for its Wednesday launch attempt. The two-hour launch window opens at 5:24 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, April 1st. If the launch is delayed, there are further opportunities daily until the 6th, and then another “window” opens on April 30th.

Join us for an online launch party on the Manitoba Museum’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. The event currently is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, April 1st.

This month, if all goes well, a Canadian astronaut will fly around the Moon. The Artemis II mission, years in preparation, is set to launch NET (not earlier than) April 1, 2026 at 5:24 pm Central Daylight Time from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Aboard will be three American Astronauts and Canadian Jeremy Hansen. Scroll down for the latest updates!

Background

If you didn’t know we were less than two weeks away from a Canadian lunar astronaut mission, it’s not surprising. News headlines have been dominated with many other issues, but that’s not the only reason. For the first time since its formation, NASA has been very close-lipped about the dates and times of any of the events leading up to the mission. We only got possible launch dates a couple of weeks ago, when usually these would be set and released months in advance. The Canadian Space Agency has been under the news embargo as well, although they have some excellent resources on the mission background and on our astronauts.

Jeremy Hansen is a Mission Specialist on the Artemis II mission, along with American astronauts Reid Wiseman (Commander), Victor Glover (Pilot), and Christina Koch (Mission Specialist). They will spend nearly 10 days aboard their Orion spacecraft, named “Integrity”, for the first crewed launch of the giant Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The mission will test the spacecraft in Earth orbit, and then head out on a long, looping orbit which will slingshot them around the Moon and back to Earth.

There are plenty of articles which detail the mission, Jeremy’s role, and Canadian astronaut Jenni Gibbons, who is Jeremy’s back-up for the mission. This blog will focus on the latest news on the mission and any updates we get on the timing.

Artemis II Watch Party

Join us for a live-streamed Dome@Home Special Event: Artemis II Launch Party on the Museum’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. If the launch proceeds as scheduled, the event will begin at 3 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, April 1st, with launch expected at 5:24 p.m. CDT. However, the launch window is two hours long, and so if there are delays the launch might occur as late as 7:24 p.m. So again, “if” is the operative word.

Since this is the first crewed launch of a new rocket and spacecraft, though, that is a big “if”. Each month has about 6 days of possible launch dates, based on the positions of the Moon and the requirements of the orbit, sunlight angles, and so forth. It’s hard to schedule an evening event in-person at the Museum with that much uncertainty, so at this point all we can promise is an online livestream watch party. Keep checking this page for the latest updates.

Older Updates

Update 30 Mar 2026 14:37 CDT: The countdown begins today for the April 1 launch of Artemis II! The nearly-50-hour process of preparing the rocket for launch, loading the crew, and finally launching begins at 3:44 p.m. CDT today.

Update 24 Feb 2026 08:53 CST: Launch Delayed to April. Just after completing a successful Wet Dress Rehearsal on February 20th, NASA teams found an issue with the rocket’s upper stage, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System (ICPS). The ICPS uses helium to pressurize the tanks and engine, and this system worked fine during the test. However, during post-test operations the helium wouldn’t flow. Unfortunately, the helium system is not accessible at the launch pad, and so the entire vehicle has to be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for troubleshooting and more testing – that is happening Wednesday, February 25th, and should take about 12 hours. Finding and fixing the issue and still making one of the possible March launch days was deemed unlikely, and so NASA has officially bumped to the April launch window. The earliest possible launch is now April 1st at 5:24 p.m. Central Time (6:24 p.m. local time at the launch site in Florida).

Update 20 Feb 2026 08:56 CST: Success! Yesterday’s Artemis II rehearsal countdown was completed successfully, hopefully clearing the way for an early March launch. The nearly fifty-hour “wet dress rehearsal” saw the 98-m (322-foot) rocket fully fueled without any of troublesome hydrogen leaks seen during the first test two weeks ago. The count stopped at T-33 seconds as planned, and held there to demonstrate that even a last-minute issue with the rocket could be dealt with without a full countdown reset. And there was one – a minor issue that was dealt with and solved in about three and a half minutes, which would not have delayed a real launch. The countdown clock was then reset to T-1o minutes and the “terminal count” run a second time, this time stopping at T-29 seconds.

The test shows NASA has solved the hydrogen leak issues, but also that it can hold during the terminal countdown to deal with issues such as weather, range safety violations (like when a tourist boat sails into the restricted area), and other transitory events without delaying the launch. Each launch window is two hours long, which gives plenty of time to be able to solve issues, top up the fuel tanks again, and still head to the Moon.

The four-person crew of Artemis II – Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Kristina Koch (all NASA astronauts) and Canadian Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen – were not involved in the test, remaining in Houston where they are preparing for a March 6 launch. Even without them, the pad crew went through the motions of closing the hatches to ensure all processes were practiced one more time.

NASA plans a press conference at 10 a.m. Central Time today to discuss the results of the test. The earliest possible launch (due to the position of the Moon, the spacecraft’s required trajectory, and requirements for reentry) is March 6th, 2026 at 7:29 p.m. Central Time (8:29 p.m. local time at the launch site in Florida).

Update 18 Feb 2026 9:07 a.m. CST – Second Wet Dress Rehearsal Underway! NASA began its second dress rehearsal for the Artemis II launch yesterday on Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Controllers were called to stations at about 7:00 p.m. Central Time for the nearly 50-hour countdown which will put the Artemis II rocket and Orion spacecraft Integrity through a full rehearsal of fueling and preparation for launch.

This rehearsal comes two weeks after the first attempt ended prematurely with some hydrogen leaks, a persistent issue with hydrogen-fueled rockets. Hydrogen is the smallest and lightest element, which means it can sneak through even the tightest seals to some degree.

Most of the visible action will occur on Thursday, when the rocket will be fully fueled and powered up for launch. The countdown will run until T-33 seconds, which is when the automatic launch sequence would take over the count from the human flight controllers. NASA will then run through the last ten minutes (the “terminal count”) a few times, simulating a minor delay which requires a few extra minutes to resolve.

The four-person crew – Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot David Glover, Mission Specialist Kristina Koch, and Mission Specialist (and Canadian) Jeremy Hansen – is not involved in the test and is still in Houston. Despite this, the pad crew will still go through the motions of closing the hatches as if this was an actual launch. Depending on the results of the test, the earliest possible launch date for Artemis II is March 6, 2026 at 7:29 p.m. Central Time (8:29 p.m. local time in Florida).

Next update is expected Thursday morning, unless conditions warrant an earlier update.

Update 3 Feb 2026 9:29 a.m. CST – Launch delayed: Based on the results of the wet dress rehearsal yesterday (Feb 2), the launch of Artemis II has been bumped to the March launch window. This means the first possible launch will occur on March 6, 2026 at 8:29 p.m. CST. The countdown will begin roughly 48 hours before that.

Update 2026 Feb. 2 12:43 p.m. CST: Did I post too soon? Hydrogen flow stopped “for troubleshooting”; liquid oxygen flow continues.

Update 2026 Feb 2 12:02 p.m. CST: They are now starting to chill down the ICPS, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System – the second stage of the SLS Block I. This involves feeding a bit of the super-cold hydrogen and oxygen into the tanks, so that the warm tanks don’t boil off too much as they fill. We do the same thing at the Science Gallery when we use liquid nitrogen.

That seems to indicate that the fueling of the big orange stage one tank went well? That was an issue on Artemis I – dealing with hydrogen is hard, since it is the smallest element in the periodic table and can leak through almost any other substance. So maybe no news is good news?

Update 2026 Feb 2 11:25 a.m. CST: Go for tanking! The Artemis II rocket is being fueled in today’s wet dress rehearsal, which is targeting a *simulated* launch window at 8:00 p.m. CST tonight. They will count all the way down to T-33 seconds, fueling the rocket and doing everything except putting the crew on board. They’ll count all the way down to T-33 seconds, then rest the clock for T-10 minutes and do it again. This simulates the need to delay the launch for a while due to things like weather or a small glitch that they need a few minutes to deal with. Each launch window is two hours long, so they have some wiggle room.

If all goes well in today’s test, NASA is targeting Sunday, February 8 at 10:20 p.m. CST for the launch of Jeremy Hansen and the rest of the Artemis II crew on their 1-day mission around the Moon. Stay tuned!

Update 2026 Feb 2 9:24 a.m. CST: Wet Dress Rehearsal Underway! The Wet Dress Rehearsal, the last major test of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft before launch, began at 8:13 p.m. on January 31, 2026. The “interesting” bits will be occurring today (Feb 2, 2026) as they decide whether they can fuel the rocket or not. Looking at the cold, they may not, which would delay the test and push the launch to the March launch window. Waiting to see!

UPDATE 2026 Jan 30 1:14 p.m. CST: The Artemis Wet Dress Rehearsal has been delayed due to a cold front rolling through Florida over the next few days. The last major test is now scheduled for Feb. 2, which means the earliest launch opportunity has slipped to February 8th at 10:20 p.m. CST.

Update 28 Jan 2026 09:40 am CST

As of now, the giant SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft is sitting on the launch pad, awaiting the final test, known as the “wet dress rehearsal”. This is a complete countdown rehearsal from L-10 hours and 40 minutes, including fueling the rocket with cryogenic (supercold) hydrogen and oxygen (hence “wet”). The crew does not board the rocket, and they go all the way down to 33 seconds, when the computer would take over the automated launch sequence. This makes sure there are no leaks, that all the batteries and communications work, and that everything is safe to put humans on top of the rocket. A day or so after the wet dress rehearsal, they will do it all again for real.

As of this writing the wet dress rehearsal is scheduled for January 31, which should leave plenty of time for a February 6 launch. So, as things stand launch will occur at 8:41 pm CST on February 6. But this is of course subject to change, based on any troubles in the dress rehearsal or any other technical or weather issues on launch day.

Scott Young

Planetarium Astronomer

Scott is the Planetarium Astronomer at the Manitoba Museum, developing astronomy and science programs. He has been an informal science educator for more than thirty years, working in the planetarium and science centre field. Scott is an active amateur astronomer and a past-President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. He hosts Dome@Home, the Manitoba Museum’s award-winning online astronomy show.

Manitoba Stories: In the Sky

Astronomy

Tuesday May 26, 2026

Posted on: Monday January 12, 2026

In our everyday lives, glass tends to be categorized as a basic material that can be used for many things such as windows, cups, cellphone screens, doors, and pickle jars. Glass is a fan favourite material for recyclers, up cyclers, and mother nature in general, and truly has many different purposes. The glass collection in the Manitoba Museum is filled with a historic variety of objects throughout time, but there are some interesting secrets in this collection and the challenges that come with its preservation.

Two photos, one above the other. Top, glass bottles in a storage container, the centre two glowing yellow under a black light. Bottom, glass lamp bases on a museum collections storage shelf, one of which glows a vibrant yellow-green under a black light.

You would never know at first glance, but the unassuming glass objects in the images on the right are glowing because they are radioactive. In some historic glass objects, uranium was added during the manufacturing process to give glass a fluorescent appearance or colouring effect. How do we know it has uranium in its make-up? We set the mood in the room like a late-night bowling alley and hit those objects with a black light! The glowing fluorescence under blacklight is indicative that there is uranium, and although considered to be radioactive, exposure to these collections is safe for staff as the measured concentration is very low.

Images: Glass bottles and glass lamp bases in the Museum Collection viewed under a black light. Not everything that glows under UV contains uranium. Manganese in glass can glow a dull not very bright green, cadmium can also be found which can glow yellow to orange. If selenium is added to glass it will glow pink and lead sometimes can glow blue!

Did you know that there is also something called glass disease? Not in the viral sense, but this descriptive term is given to glass objects that show a few irreversible degradation signs. Glass disease can look like a rainbow effect on clear glass as you spin it in the light, it can make glass tacky or sticky, there might be a hazy cloudy appearance, and in some cases such as glass beads, the glass will split or physically breakdown. The root cause of glass disease in an object is that poor quality materials went into its manufacture and with time and shifts in fluctuating environmental conditions such as higher relativity humidity, the salts in the glass begin to leach to the surface creating all the oddities described above.

An example of glass disease that has developed on a piece of beadwork in the collection.

Microscopic image of glass disease on historic glass beads.

The last and somewhat unfortunate part of glass is when two sides need to be put back together if there is an accident. Glass is a very challenging material to repair due to its refractive index. What does this mean? It means that when light hits the glass where the break has occurred, air can get trapped between the two joints, and the light shines in a different direction through the clear surface, making it visible where the crack or break happened. Conservators use optically matched adhesives and epoxies to repair glass objects to try to minimize this refractive index magic, but it is very difficult to make a completely seamless repair.

A glass bottle in the collection before conservation treatment for its broken section and cracked portion.

The same glass bottle after conservation treatment. While the broken section has been repaired, the crack and location of the original break are still visible.

Our glass and ceramics storage vault holds a lot of fun histories and secrets that we continue to passionately study. The next time you look at a glass object, remember, you never know what it might be hiding!

Carolyn Sirett

Senior Conservator

Carolyn Sirett received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Manitoba, Diploma in Cultural Resource Management from the University of Victoria, and Diploma in Collections Conservation and Management…

Meet Carolyn Sirett

Museum Stories: Collections & Conservation

Collections & Conservation

Wednesday May 13, 2026

The Last Straw for Delta Marsh and Rye Farm

The Delta Marsh and Rye Farm diorama in the Parklands Gallery was completed in 2003, having been in the planning and construction phases since the mid-1990s. The result was a masterpiece of exhibitry…

Collections & Conservation

Monday May 4, 2026

Our Biggest Zoology Specimen

At the Manitoba Museum, our Natural History collections mandate requires that we focus our collecting efforts on specimens that are from Manitoba. We do occasionally make small exceptions to that rule, especially if …

Collections & Conservation

Thursday March 5, 2026

Cleaning Taxidermy

Taxidermy is a great way to preserve animals. While less popular than it used to be, taxidermied specimens are still found in houses, not just in museums! The techniques and products used to taxidermy a specimen vary greatly depending on …

Posted on: Saturday January 10, 2026

Temporary display features remarkable fossils and new research from the Burgess Shale.

When we think of fossils, dinosaur bones, mammoth tusks, or the corals and shells seen in Winnipeg Tyndall stone building blocks might come to mind. These creatures had hard, mineralized body parts which are resistant to decay and can be readily preserved. However, under rare circumstances, traces of the soft tissues of organisms, such as eyes, guts, and nervous systems, can be fossilized too!

A pair of claws of Anomalocaris canadensis. When first found, they were thought to be the body of a shrimp, until more complete specimens were uncovered. Photo by Jean-Bernard Caron © Royal Ontario Museum.

Reconstruction of Anomalocaris canadensis, which was one of the top predators of its age, reaching up to a metre in length! Art by Marianne Collins © Royal Ontario Museum.

A smiling Dr. Joe Moysiuk wearing a white hard hat and sunglasses poses on the ground next to a fossil specimen on an embedded rock.

One of the most famous sites where this sort of exceptional fossil preservation can be found is the Burgess Shale, located in Yoho and Kootenay National Parks, British Columbia. This fossil deposit dates back about 506 million years, to the dawn of animal life on Earth.

This year only, come and see a selection of some of the strangest fossils ever recovered from the Burgess Shale on display at the Manitoba Museum. From Anomalocaris canadensis – which was first thought to be multiple different animals until scientists pieced its remains back together – to Mosura fentoni – a three-eyed oddity which was recently named by Manitoba Museum and Royal Ontario Museum researchers.

Image: Dr. Joe Moysiuk, Curator of Palaeontology and Geology at the Manitoba Museum, discovering a specimen of Mosura fentoni at the Burgess Shale. © Joe Moysiuk

Specimen of Mosura fentoni, photographed under different lighting conditions. Left photo shows the body outline while right one shows details of the brain and circulatory system! Photos by Jean-Bernard Caron © Royal Ontario Museum.

Reconstruction of Mosura fentoni, which was named in 2025. Its name was inspired by its moth-like appearance, in reference to the Japanese movie monster Mothra! Art by Danielle Dufault © Royal Ontario Museum.

The exhibit “Weird wonders from the dawn of complex life” is on display in the Museum foyer and is FREE to view! While you’re visiting, come and check out other new additions to the Galleries, such as our Ice Age mural, a brand-new installation in the Earth History Gallery.

Plan your visit

Dr. Joe Moysiuk

Curator of Palaeontology & Geology

Joe Moysiuk recently completed his doctoral dissertation at the University of Toronto and Royal Ontario Museum. His expertise centers on the oldest animal fossils and insights they provide about the evolution…

Meet Dr. Joe Moysiuk

Museum Stories: DYK Discovery

DYK Discovery

Friday June 12, 2026

Keeping Indigenous Voices Alive

Did you know that Indigenous languages across Canada are considered endangered or at risk of becoming endangered? Canada is home to 70 distinct Indigenous languages, belonging to several…

DYK Discovery

Friday May 8, 2026

A Paper Trail That Speaks Volumes

What can a piece of paper reveal about a life? In May, in honour of Asian Heritage Month, the Manitoba Museum invites you to discover how fragile documents—certificates, photos, and government records…

DYK Discovery

Friday April 17, 2026

A Planet Worth Celebrating

Every year on April 22, people around the world celebrate Earth Day, a moment to appreciate the wondrous planet we call home. Earth supplies the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the ecosystems that support a mind-blowing diversity of life…

DYK Discovery

Friday March 13, 2026

O Frog, Where Art Thou?

March doesn’t seem the ideal month to think about looking for frogs and toads; ponds are frozen and amphibians are hibernating underwater or underground. But at the Museum, we are well into planning spring fieldwork …

DYK Discovery

Friday February 13, 2026

Discover the Wonders Behind the Scenes at the Manitoba Museum!

The Manitoba Museum is thrilled to introduce Curator Conversations, an exciting new speaker series that brings you face-to-face with the experts who uncover the stories of our province—and beyond.

Posted on: Wednesday December 31, 2025

Manitoba’s January skies are usually cold if they are clear, and the long winter nights make stargazing easier. You don’t need to stay up late to spot Orion and his retinue of winter constellations rising in the east after dark, and the crisp winter air can provide remarkably clear views for users of telescopes and binoculars.

Although this article focuses on events visible in Manitoba, most events will also be visible across Canada and most places in the mid-northern hemisphere.

The Solar System for January 2026

Mercury is too close to the Sun to be easily seen from Manitoba this month, although more southerly viewers might catch it very low in the southeast just before sunrise during the first few days of the month. It reaches superior conjunction (in line with and just below the Sun) on January 21st, 2026.

Venus has disappeared into the sun’s glare as well, passing its superior conjunction on January 6th, 2026. It will reappear in the evening sky early in the spring of 2026.

Mars is still too close to the Sun to be visible this month. It passes behind the sun and reaches superior conjunction on January 9th, 2026.

Jupiter is the planetary highlight of the month. The giant planet is low in the east at sunset and is visible all night, rising high into the south and then lower into the northwest by sunrise. Jupiter reaches opposition on January 10th, the date when it is opposite the Sun in the sky. This is also when Jupiter appears near its brightest and largest as seen from Earth, so it’s a great time to break out the binoculars or telescope and take a look.

Even a small telescope will show Jupiter as a tiny planet with several tinier “stars” in a line near it – these are Jupiter’s largest moons. Up to four of them can be seen, depending on where they are in their orbit around the giant planet. Often these moons can be glimpsed in binoculars as well.

Saturn is in the south, a third of the way up the sky, as darkness falls. It sets before midnight in the southwest, so catch it early if you want to spot it. Saturn’s rings are nearly edge-on to our line of sight, making them nearly invisible in a telescope. The Moon is nearby on January 22nd and 23rd, 2026.

Uranus is in the evening sky a few degrees below the famous Pleaides star cluster (also known as the Seven Sisters). It is too faint to easily see without binoculars, and even a telescope shows it as a faint dot that looks just like the other faint stars. A detailed star-charting app like Stellarium or the charts in the Observer’s Handbook is required to track it down.

Neptune requires good binoculars or a small telescope to even spot, and a large telescope to make it out as anything more than a faint dot. It spends the month near Saturn, though, which makes it easier to track down than usual. As with Uranus, a detailed star chart like those in the Observer’s Handbook or produced software by Stellarium is required to tell which tiny “dot” is Neptune.

Of the five known dwarf planets, only (1) Ceres is close enough to be seen in binoculars or a small telescope. Ceres has faded below easy visibility in binoculars for the year, but will brighten again beginning in late 2026.

Jupiter and its moons as seen through a backyard telescope. (Image credit: Planetarium Astronomer Scott Young)

Planetary Spotlight: Jupiter

Jupiter is probably the best planet for amateur astronomers. Being the largest planet, we can see details in the cloud tops (Jupiter is a gas giant planet, and so the “surface” we see is actually the top of the atmosphere). Its four brightest moons are visible in any telescope, and even in binoculars if you can hold them steady enough (try bracing your arms against your body or the arms of a reclining lawn chair, or mount the binoculars on a tripod).

Seeing detail on Jupiter does require some practice, though. The first time you look at Jupiter up close, you’ll probably see a bright white “star” with a few fainter “stars” lined up with it. Don’t just take a quick peek and give up, though. Your eyes will see more if you keep looking. Eventually you’ll see that the bright “star” isn’t a point of light, but a tiny globe. You’ll start to notice some dark lines running across it – those are the big equatorial cloud bands that circle the planet.

The more often you look at Jupiter through a telescope, the more you will see. Our eyes aren’t very good at looking at tiny images through a small tube. It takes practice to train your eye and brain. The tenth night you look at Jupiter, you will see much more than you did on the first night. You can also put your camera at the eyepiece to snap a picture. It takes practice to make it work, but you can get great images through a telescope with just a cell phone or point-and-shoot camera.

Sky Calendar for January 2026

All times are given in Central Standard Time, the local time for Manitoba. However, most of these events are visible across Canada at the same local time without adjusting for time zones.

If there’s a little box to the left of the date, you can click on it to see a star map of that event! All images are created using Stellarium, the free planetarium software.

Friday, January 2nd, 2026: First Friday at the Manitoba Museum includes free telescope viewing this month (weather permitting). Telescopes will be set up outside the Planetarium dome from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for views of the Full Moon and the planets Jupiter and Saturn. Dress warmly!

Saturday, January 3rd, 2026: Full Moon, appearing near Jupiter in the sky. Since Jupiter is near opposition, and the Full Moon is basically what happens when the Moon reaches its own “opposition” (the point opposite the Sun in the sky), this make sense!

Saturday evening is also the peak of the annual Quadrantid meteor shower, but with the full moon and the timing this isn’t a great year for it. You might see a handful of meteors after sunset tonight, but the Moon will overwhelm most of them.

Tuesday, January 6th, 2026: Venus reaches superior conjunction, passing around the far side of the Sun as seen from Earth.

Friday, January 9th, 2026: Mars reaches superior conjunction, passing around the far side of the Sun as seen from Earth.

Saturday, January 10th, 2026: Jupiter reaches opposition, about 634 million kilometers away from Earth. Today is also the Last Quarter Moon.

Sunday, January 18th, 2026: New Moon

Wednesday, January 21st, 2026: The planet Mercury reaches superior conjunction, passing around the far side of the Sun. If this text sounds familiar, it’s because it is the third planet to pass superior conjunction this month – nothing more than a coincidence of cycles that have been going on for billions of years.

Thursday, January 22nd, 2026: The Moon is to the right of Saturn tonight in the early evening sky.

Friday, January 23rd, 2026: The Moon is to the left of Saturn tonight in the early evening sky.

Tuesday, January 27th, 2026: The Moon is beside the Pleaides star cluster this evening. It is closest at dusk, but the Moon’s orbital motion moves it farther away from the star cluster even as the Earth’s rotation carries them both higher into the sky. (The accompanying chart shows the view at 6 p.m., Central time; the Moon will move farther to the left about its own diameter every hour relative to the background stars.)

Wednesday, January 28th, 2026: Mercury and Venus pass close to each other, but this occurs far too close to the Sun to be visible.

Saturday, December 27th, 2025: First Quarter Moon

People stare up at the northern lights above them.

Other Celestial Sights

Outside of the events listed above, there are other things we see in the sky that can’t always be predicted in advance.

Aurora borealis, the northern lights, are becoming a more common sight again as the Sun goes through the maximum of its 11-year cycle of activity. Particles from the Sun interact with the Earth’s magnetic field and the high upper atmosphere to create glowing curtains of light around the north (and south) magnetic poles of the planet. Manitoba is well-positioned relative to the north magnetic pole to see these displays often, but they still can’t be forecast very far in advance. A site like Space Weather can provide updates on solar activity and aurora forecasts for the next 48 hours. The best way to see the aurora is to spend a lot of time out under the stars, so that you are there when they occur.

Random meteors (also known as falling or shooting stars) occur every clear night at the rate of about 5-10 per hour. Most people don’t see them because of light pollution from cities, or because they don’t watch the sky uninterrupted for an hour straight. They happen so quickly that a single glance down at your phone or exposure to light can make you miss one.

Satellites are becoming extremely common sights in the hours after sunset and before dawn. Appearing as a moving star that takes a few minutes to cross the sky, they appear seemingly out of nowhere. These range from the International Space Station and Chinese space station Tianhe, which have people living on them full-time, to remote sensing and spy satellites, to burnt-out rocket parts and dead satellites. The most common sightings are Starlink satellites, which are being launched dozens at a time to bring internet to remote regions, but which cause trouble with astronomy and pollution. These can be predicted in advance (or identified after the fact) using a site like Heavens Above by selecting your location.