The Observers Notebook- Comets of 2026

Episode 226 In this episode, we’re turning our eyes toward some of the most dynamic travelers in our solar system — comets — and looking ahead to what promises to be an exciting year in the night sky: 2026. Each year brings a new lineup of these icy visitors, and with them, the chance for both amateur and professional observers to witness spectacular changes as they approach the Sun and develop tails of gas and dust. But which comets will stand out in 2026? Which ones might become visible to the naked eye — and which could surprise us? To help answer those questions, I’m joined by Carl Hergenrother, Coordinator of the ALPO Comets Section and a veteran comet discoverer himself — yes, he even has one named after him, Comet 168P/Hergenrother. Carl has spent decades studying, imaging, and analyzing comets from both professional observatories and backyard telescopes. Together, we’ll explore which comets are expected to light up the sky in 2026, how to observe them, and what role amateur astronomers can play in monitoring these fascinating objects. So grab your star charts, check your observing gear, and get ready — we’re about to dive into “Comets of 2026” with Carl Hergenrother. You can contact Carl at: carlhergenrother@gmail.com ALPO Comets Section For more information you can visit the ALPO web site at: You can also support this podcast at Patreon: Listen to the podcast on Soundcloud:

You can listen to The Observers Notebook- Comets of 2026 online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Observers Notebook- Comets of 2026 is an episode from Observers Notebook by Observers Notebook- The Official ALPO Podcast.

This episode is 01:13:31 long.

This episode was published on Jan 1, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Observers Notebook when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.