All dates and times in this forecast are based on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT / UTC−4).
August — eclipse season arrives, and the sky puts on its biggest show of the year.
July asked you to grow up and to dream at the same time. August answers with two eclipses. On Wednesday, August 12, the New Moon in Leo is a Total Solar Eclipse — the first eclipse of the new Jupiter-in-Leo era — and that same night the Perseid meteor shower peaks under a completely moonless sky, a pairing skywatchers wait years for. Two weeks later, on Friday, August 28, the Full Moon in Pisces arrives as a Partial Lunar Eclipse. And on Monday, August 31, Jupiter in Leo forms an exact trine to Saturn in Aries — vision and structure finally pulling in the same direction.
Between the eclipses: Venus comes home to Libra, Mars slips into Cancer, Mercury runs clean and fast through Leo (no retrograde this month), and Virgo season begins. Use Planetaro to track planetary hours and time the month with intention — and first, some news of our own.
News on Planetaro
The Planetaro Podcast premieres on Thursday, August 6 — on YouTube. We're beyond excited to share this one: a podcast featuring conversations with astrologers, creators, spiritual teachers, and thought leaders from around the world — exploring astrology, planetary timing, personal growth, and practical ways to live more intentionally.
The first episode drops the same day Venus comes home to Libra — we couldn't have timed it better if we tried. Subscribe to the Planetaro channel on YouTube now and turn on notifications, so you'll know the moment the first episode goes live.
None of this would be possible without your encouragement, feedback, and continued support — thank you for being part of the Planetaro journey from the very beginning.
And if you haven't tried it yet, the Planetary Hours Calculator keeps growing — city-specific pages for 100+ cities, an interactive map, and planet detail cards with focus tips.
Astrological Spotlight — August 2026
Venus Enters Libra — August 6
Venus leaves detail-oriented Virgo and returns to one of its home signs, Libra (3:12 PM EDT), where it stays through the end of the month. Relationships, aesthetics, agreements, and diplomacy all get a tailwind. This is Venus at full strength — connection over critique, harmony over hustle.
The same evening, the Sun in Leo trines retrograde Saturn in Aries (10:44 PM EDT), lending rare steadiness to Leo season's fire: confidence with follow-through.
Planetaro tip: Venus hours while Venus is in Libra are among the best of the year for negotiations, partnership conversations, design work, and smoothing over conflict. Pair with Saturn hours on August 6–7 to give new agreements staying power.
Mercury Enters Leo — August 9
Mercury finally leaves Cancer — the sign where it spent its long June–July retrograde — and strides into Leo (12:28 PM EDT). The post-retrograde shadow ended on August 6, so this is the first fully clear Mercury of the summer. Communication turns bold, warm, and expressive. Say the thing. Pitch the idea.
Planetaro tip: Mercury hours from August 9 onward favor presentations, storytelling, publishing, and any conversation that needs heart as well as clarity.
Mars Enters Cancer — August 11
Mars shifts from airy Gemini into protective Cancer (4:30 AM EDT). Drive turns inward and homeward: energy goes to family, home projects, emotional security, and defending what you care about. Direct confrontation gets harder; indirect momentum gets stronger.
Planetaro tip: Mars hours while Mars is in Cancer are best spent on home improvement, family logistics, and protective moves — securing, backing up, insuring — rather than head-on conflict.
Total Solar Eclipse — New Moon in Leo — August 12
The headline of the month, and one of the headline sky events of the decade. At 1:36 PM EDT (17:36 UTC), the New Moon forms at 20°02′ Leo as a Total Solar Eclipse. The path of totality crosses Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain, with a partial eclipse visible across most of Europe, northwestern Africa, and much of North America.
Astrologically, a solar eclipse is a supercharged New Moon — a door that opens once and stays open for months. In Leo, with Jupiter freshly arrived in Leo, this eclipse plants seeds around creativity, leadership, visibility, and courage that unfold over the next six months. What you begin now, you grow into.
Eclipses are traditionally a time to receive rather than force. Set intentions, watch what surfaces, and let the sky do the dramatic gesture.
Planetaro tip: Sun hours on August 12 carry the eclipse signature. Use them for quiet intention-setting around how you want to be seen and what you want to create — not for launches or irreversible commitments. The days after the eclipse are better for action than the day itself.
The Perseids Peak Under a Moonless Sky — Night of August 12–13
The same day as the eclipse, the Perseid meteor shower — the most beloved shower of the year — reaches its peak, and this year the Moon is brand new: 0% illumination, zero moonlight interference. A dark-sky Perseid peak like this won't repeat until 2045. The best viewing window runs from late evening on August 12 through the pre-dawn hours of August 13, with peak rates expected between 2:00 and 4:00 AM GMT (evening of the 12th, North American time). Under dark skies, expect up to 50–100 meteors per hour.
Planetaro tip: The pre-dawn hours of any night belong to the final planetary hours of that day's sequence — check Planetaro for your local lineup and take the Moon or Venus hour out under the sky.
Mercury Conjunct Jupiter in Leo — August 15
Mercury meets Jupiter at 10° Leo (7:22 AM EDT) — the year's most optimistic thinking-and-talking aspect. Big ideas, generous words, persuasive vision. The risk: overpromising. The gift: seeing the whole board.
Planetaro tip: Jupiter hours on August 15 are ideal for pitching, planning the big picture, teaching, and writing anything meant to inspire. Pair with Mercury hours to work out the details before you commit.
Mars Square Neptune — August 17
Mars in early Cancer squares retrograde Neptune in Aries (5:52 AM EDT). Motivation can fog over; misdirected effort and low-grade confusion are the classic signatures. Double-check facts before acting on them, and be honest about what you're avoiding.
Planetaro tip: Skip Mars hours for major pushes on August 17. Use Moon or Neptune-adjacent quiet hours for rest, imagination, and course-correcting instead.
Venus Opposite Saturn — August 21
Venus in Libra opposes retrograde Saturn in Aries (8:43 AM EDT). Relationships and finances meet a reality check: what's solid holds, what's vague wobbles. A good day for honest conversations about commitment — not a great day for expecting instant warmth.
Planetaro tip: Saturn hours on August 21 support the mature version of the conversation. Venus hours soften the delivery.
Sun Enters Virgo — August 22
Leo season closes with the Sun moving into Virgo at 10:18 PM EDT. After a month of eclipse drama and Leo fire, Virgo season asks: what does all of this look like as a routine? Focus shifts to health, work, craft, and refinement. Mercury follows its ruler into Virgo on August 25 (7:04 AM EDT), and on August 27 the Sun and Mercury meet in an exact conjunction — a cazimi — at 4°27′ Virgo (1:03 PM EDT), one of the sharpest mental-clarity moments of the season.
Planetaro tip: Mercury hours on August 27, with Mercury cazimi in its own sign, are arguably the best problem-solving hours of the entire month. Save a hard decision, a detailed plan, or an important edit for that window.
Partial Lunar Eclipse — Full Moon in Pisces — August 28
At 12:18 AM EDT (4:12 AM UTC maximum), the Full Moon at 4°54′ Pisces slides through Earth's shadow in a deep Partial Lunar Eclipse — about 93% of the lunar disk enters the umbra. It's visible across the Americas, Europe, and Africa. This is August's Sturgeon Moon, and it lands on the Virgo–Pisces axis: precision versus surrender, the checklist versus the dream.
Lunar eclipses close chapters. Whatever the August 12 solar eclipse opened, this Full Moon shows you what has to be released to make room for it — old emotional patterns, foggy commitments, half-finished versions of yourself.
Planetaro tip: Moon hours on August 27–28 are potent for release rituals, journaling, and forgiveness work. Pair with Saturn hours to make the letting-go concrete: unsubscribe, archive, hand it back.
Jupiter Trine Saturn — August 31
The month ends on its most constructive note. Jupiter at 13°41′ Leo forms an exact trine to retrograde Saturn at 13°41′ Aries (6:17 PM EDT) — expansion and structure in rare agreement. Growth that lasts. Vision with a foundation. This aspect blesses everything built patiently through the eclipse turbulence.
Planetaro tip: Use Jupiter hours on August 31 to commit to the long game — sign up, enroll, incorporate, publish the roadmap. Pair with Saturn hours to put the first brick down the same day.
Night Sky Highlights
- Total Solar Eclipse (August 12): Greatest eclipse at 17:46 UTC. Totality crosses Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain; a partial eclipse is visible across Europe, northwestern Africa, and much of North America. The first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999.
- Perseid Meteor Shower (peak night August 12–13): Up to 50–100 meteors per hour under a New Moon — no moonlight at all. The best Perseid viewing conditions until 2045. Active July 17 – August 24.
- Partial Lunar Eclipse — Sturgeon Moon (August 28): Maximum at 4:12 UTC; roughly 93% of the Moon enters Earth's umbra. Visible from the Americas, Europe, and Africa.
Featured Articles
- This Month's Astrology — August 2026 — Cafe Astrology
- Total Solar Eclipse of August 12, 2026 — timeanddate.com
- Perseid Meteor Shower 2026: All You Need to Know — Star Walk
Full Calendar — August 2026
- August 5 — Last Quarter Moon (13°40′ Taurus, 10:21 PM EDT) — Clear the decks before eclipse season.
- August 6 — Venus enters Libra (3:12 PM EDT) — Love and diplomacy come home.
- August 6 — Sun trine Saturn (10:44 PM EDT) — Confidence with follow-through.
- August 6 — Mercury's post-retrograde shadow ends — The June–July retrograde is fully behind you.
- August 9 — Mercury enters Leo (12:28 PM EDT) — Bold, warm, expressive communication.
- August 10 — Venus trine Pluto (2:08 PM EDT) & Venus opposite Neptune (6:01 PM EDT) — Depth and idealism pull at love and money.
- August 11 — Mars enters Cancer (4:30 AM EDT) — Drive turns homeward and protective.
- August 11 — Mercury opposite Pluto (9:19 PM EDT) & Venus trine Uranus (11:46 PM EDT) — Intense words, exciting attractions.
- August 12 — Total Solar Eclipse — New Moon in Leo (20°02′, 1:36 PM EDT / 17:36 UTC) — The door of the season opens.
- August 12–13 — Perseid meteor shower peaks on a moonless night — Best conditions until 2045.
- August 15 — Mercury conjunct Jupiter (10°09′ Leo, 7:22 AM EDT) — The year's most optimistic conversation.
- August 17 — Mars square Neptune (5:52 AM EDT) — Fog over motivation; verify before acting.
- August 17 — Venus sextile Jupiter (12:15 PM EDT) — Generosity flows.
- August 19 — First Quarter Moon (27°08′ Scorpio, 10:46 PM EDT) — Push through the resistance.
- August 21 — Venus opposite Saturn (8:43 AM EDT) — Reality check in love and money.
- August 22 — Sun enters Virgo (10:18 PM EDT) — From drama to craft.
- August 25 — Mercury enters Virgo (7:04 AM EDT) — The mind comes home.
- August 27 — Sun conjunct Mercury — cazimi (4°27′ Virgo, 1:03 PM EDT) — The clearest thinking of the month.
- August 28 — Partial Lunar Eclipse — Full Moon in Pisces (4°54′, 12:18 AM EDT) — The Sturgeon Moon closes a chapter.
- August 28 — Mercury square Uranus (3:24 AM EDT) & Sun square Uranus (6:18 PM EDT) — Expect the unexpected in plans and news.
- August 31 — Jupiter trine Saturn (13°41′ Leo–Aries, 6:17 PM EDT) — Growth that lasts. Build.