Meteor Showers, Eclipses, and More Are on the August 2026 Astronomical Calendar

2026年8月天文日历：流星雨、日食及更多天象来袭

For astronomy enthusiasts, August 2026 will be a month to remember. Some of the most spectacular celestial phenomena—including ones that are easy to observe without telescopes or other specialized equipment—will all occur during the same week. 对于天文爱好者来说，2026年8月将是令人难忘的一个月。一些最壮观的天文现象——包括那些无需望远镜或其他专业设备即可轻松观测到的天象——都将在同一周内上演。

It’s a great time to get your viewing plans together and start refreshing your weather app to see whether the skies will be clear where you are to catch all the happenings in the heavens. 现在是制定观测计划的好时机，不妨开始关注天气预报，看看你所在地区的夜空是否晴朗，以便捕捉这些天际盛事。

Perseid Meteor Shower

英仙座流星雨

The Perseids are among the most spectacular meteor showers of the year, along with the Geminids in December and the Quadrantids in January. Every August, Earth passes through the trail of particles left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. As the fragments enter the atmosphere at high speed, they produce an intense meteor shower. 英仙座流星雨是年度最壮观的流星雨之一，与12月的双子座流星雨和1月的象限仪座流星雨齐名。每年8月，地球都会穿过109P/斯威夫特-塔特尔彗星留下的尘埃带。当这些碎片高速进入大气层时，便会产生强烈的流星雨。

In 2026, activity will peak during the night of Wednesday, August 12, and extend into the early morning hours of the following day. It will coincide with the new moon. That means the sky will be exceptionally dark, offering prime viewing conditions. 2026年，流星雨将在8月12日（周三）夜间达到峰值，并持续到次日清晨。届时恰逢新月，这意味着夜空将格外黑暗，为观测提供了绝佳条件。

The Perseids appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus. In reality, the meteors can streak across any part of the sky, but locating that constellation with the help of a stargazing app can make it easier to know where to look for the best chance of catching streaks across the night sky. 英仙座流星雨看起来像是从英仙座辐射出来的。实际上，流星可能会划过天空的任何位置，但借助观星应用定位英仙座，可以让你更容易找到观测方向，从而增加捕捉到流星划过夜空的几率。

Solar Eclipse

日食

The main astronomical event of the month will be a total solar eclipse. Not everyone will get a glimpse, though, with the path of totality crossing a sliver of Spain, Portugal, Iceland, and Greenland. Areas outside those locations will still be treated to a partial eclipse. 本月的主要天文事件将是一场日全食。不过，并非所有人都能一睹全貌，因为全食带仅穿过西班牙、葡萄牙、冰岛和格陵兰岛的一小部分地区。全食带以外的地区则可以看到日偏食。

The timing will be particularly dramatic, with totality set to occur at sunset on August 12. The Sun’s low position above the horizon will offer an unusual—and photogenic—scene. 此次日食的时间点非常戏剧化，全食阶段定于8月12日日落时分发生。太阳处于地平线附近的低位，将呈现出一幅罕见且极具摄影美感的画面。

This will be the Iberian Peninsula’s first time seeing a total solar eclipse in more than a century. Madrid is in the path of totality as are regions that include Galicia, Asturias, Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands. In the rest of the country, the eclipse will be partial. 这将是伊比利亚半岛一个多世纪以来首次出现日全食。马德里位于全食带内，加利西亚、阿斯图里亚斯、卡斯蒂利亚-莱昂、阿拉贡、加泰罗尼亚、巴伦西亚和巴利阿里群岛等地区也在全食带覆盖范围内。在西班牙的其他地区，则只能看到日偏食。

Those outside the eclipse path will also be able to follow the event. Agencies such as NASA and the European Space Agency will broadcast the event live. The main piece of advice for those trying to observe it: Do not under any circumstances stare directly at the sun. 身处全食带之外的人们也可以通过直播关注这一盛事。美国国家航空航天局（NASA）和欧洲航天局等机构将对活动进行现场直播。对于观测者，最核心的建议是：在任何情况下都不要直视太阳。

Planetary Alignment

行星连珠

As if the solar eclipse and the meteor shower weren’t enough, in the early morning hours of August 12, an alignment of six planets will also occur. Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune will form an apparent line in the sky. 如果日食和流星雨还不够过瘾，8月12日清晨还将出现六星连珠的天象。木星、水星、火星、天王星、土星和海王星将在天空中排成一条直线。

Observing this alignment is more challenging than watching the meteor shower given the faintness of some of the planets. However, if atmospheric conditions are favorable, it will be possible to see Mercury, Mars, and Saturn with the naked eye near the horizon shortly before sunrise. To observe Uranus and Neptune, you’ll need a telescope. 由于部分行星亮度较低，观测这次“行星连珠”比观测流星雨更具挑战性。不过，如果大气条件良好，日出前不久，肉眼可以在地平线附近看到水星、火星和土星。若要观测天王星和海王星，则需要借助望远镜。

Lunar Eclipse

月食

August 27 will close out the month with a partial lunar eclipse that will cover up to 96 percent of the moon’s disk. Unlike solar eclipses, which only cut a very narrow path across the Earth’s surface, lunar eclipses can be seen from much larger regions of the planet. On this occasion, it will be visible across virtually the entirety of the Americas, from Canada to Argentina. 8月27日，一场月偏食将为本月画上句号，届时月球圆盘将被遮挡高达96%。与日食仅在地球表面划过一条狭窄路径不同，月食可以在地球上更广阔的区域观测到。此次月食几乎覆盖了整个美洲地区，从加拿大到阿根廷均可见。

Also unlike this month’s solar eclipse, observing this one will require no special eye protection. Simply find a dark spot, away from light pollution and, if possible, with a clear horizon. The only protection you might need is from the cold, particularly if you’re in the southern hemisphere given the season. 同样与本月的日食不同，观测月食无需任何特殊的护眼设备。只需找一个远离光污染的黑暗地点，如果可能的话，选择视野开阔的地平线处即可。你唯一需要做的防护是保暖，特别是如果你身处南半球，考虑到季节因素，请注意防寒。

This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish. 本文最初发表于《连线》西班牙语版，由西班牙语翻译而来。