Lunar X Predictions for 2026,
Based on 358° Lunar Colongitude
Altitude and Azimuth for 40°N-75°W, Eastern Time Zone
|
Date, 2026 |
358° Colongitude |
Altitude/Azimuth |
|
January 25 |
12:05 |
+16°
/ 85° |
|
February 24 |
2:20 am |
–10° / 315° |
|
March 25 |
4:49
pm |
+57° /
101° |
|
April 24 |
5:22 am |
–23° / 327° |
|
May 23 |
5:04
pm |
+44° / 124° |
|
June 22 |
4:11 am |
–37° / 298° |
|
July 21 |
3:05
pm |
+11° / 124° |
|
August 20 |
2:13 am |
–33° / 263° |
|
September 18 |
1:58 pm |
–6° / 123° |
|
October 18 |
2:37 am |
–38° / 267° |
|
November 16 |
3:13 pm |
+24° / 142° |
|
December 16 |
5:33 am |
–54° / 5° |
The Lunar X is not an instantaneous phenomenon; rather, it appears
and evolves over several hours, so the times above are fundamentally approximate
and serve only as a guide. The ardent observer should look a little early to
catch the initial visible illumination. A less-dramatic Lunar X against a fully
illuminated background can still be seen at least several days later. Because of
the Moon’s nominal 29.5 day synodic period (phase-to-phase), favorable dates for
a given location tend to occur on alternate months. Unfavorable dates for
40°N-75°W are shaded gray in this table.
The 358°
colongitude value for
predicting the terminator reaching the Lunar X and making it prominent is based
on this RASC paper,
and the usefulness of times based on 358° colongitude was
substantiated by sightings in 2024.
These times, and the corresponding lunar altitude/azimuth for 40°N-75°W were
generated with WinJUPOS, which is freeware linked from the
WinJUPOS download page.
Daylight Saving Time for 2026 begins on March 8 and ends on November 1. The listed times are EST/EDT as appropriate for the date.
Here's
NASA's Lunar Phase &
Libration Simulator, 2026. Note: It's somewhat
non-standard in that it presents UTC as 12 hr am & pm rather than 24 hr time.
West Jersey Astronomical
Society