Moon Meets Venus, Spica And The ‘Anti-Mars’: The Night Sky This Week
This article provides a guide to celestial events occurring between August 17 and August 23, 2026. It highlights the alignment of the moon with Venus and Spica, as well as the upcoming deep partial lunar eclipse.
Why it matters
It serves as a practical resource for amateur astronomers and skywatchers interested in tracking significant astronomical phenomena.
Science Moon Meets Venus, Spica And The ‘Anti-Mars’: The Night Sky This Week By Jamie Carter ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky. Follow Author Aug 17, 2026, 02:00am EDT Topline With the Perseid meteor shower fading and the total solar eclipse now over, attention turns to the next major event in the night sky. A waxing moon glides past Venus, Spica and Antares this week, while the Milky Way remains spectacular under increasingly moonlit skies. It’s also the perfect time to prepare for Aug. 27–28’s deep partial lunar eclipse, when 96% of the moon will pass through Earth’s dark shadow in the finest lunar eclipse visible anywhere on Earth until the end of 2028. Here’s everything you need to know about stargazing this week, Aug. 17-23.
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