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:

ALPO Comets Section

https://www.alpo-astronomy.org/Comets

For more information you can visit the ALPO web site at:

www.alpo-astronomy.org/

You can also support this podcast at Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/ObserversNotebook

Listen to the podcast on Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/observersnotebook

Subscribe on our YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/c/AssociationofLunarandPlanetaryObservers

Subscribe on iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/observers-notebook-the-alpo-podcast/id1199301885?mt=2

I want to thank the Producers of this podcast, Steve Siedentop and Michael Moyer for their generous support of the Observers Notebook.

Our Patreons:

Jerry White

Jason Inman

Bob Lunsford

Steve Seidentop

Stephen Bennett

Michael Moyer

Shawn Dilles

Damian Allis

Carl Hergenrother

Michael McShan

Michael Blake

Nick Evetts

Stan Sienkiewicz

Carl Hergenrother

Stan Sienkiewicz

John Rogers

Jim McCarthy

Stanley McMahan