February 18, 2026: Mercury is occulted by a thin crescent moon across parts of North America, Mexico, and Central America. Learn where and when to see the event, along with Saturn and Jupiter in the evening sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:42 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:28 p.m. CST. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Moon Occults Mercury
Three bright planets and the waxing crescent moon are in the evening sky. If you have not seen Mercury during this apparition, this evening is the night to look. Across most of North America, the lunar crescent is near Mercury. Across a southern swath of the United States, as well as Mexico and Central America, the lunar crescent occults (eclipses) the planet.
At 45 minutes after sundown, look for Mercury and the lunar crescent. The Elusive Planet is nearly 10° above the west-southwest horizon, while the crescent moon, 2% illuminated, is 0.5° to the lower left. Look carefully.
Use a binocular to spot the pair. Can you see Mercury without the optical assist?
An occultation occurs when the moon crosses the view of a distant planet or star. The moon constantly occults fainter stars, but the event is noteworthy when the moon blocks the view of a bright planet or prominent star.
The moon moves eastward about 0.54° each hour — slightly larger than the moon’s diameter or the distance across a pinky finger held at arm’s length — accumulating about 13.2° each day. Tomorrow evening, the lunar crescent is to Saturn’s upper right.
During an occultation, the distant celestial body disappears behind the moon’s eastern edge (limb) and later reappears at the western edge. Depending on the moon’s phase, the object can disappear or reappear at either the illuminated limb or the dark limb.
Occultation Times
From eastern regions of the United States, the moon is near setting when Mercury disappears behind the dark limb. In Atlanta, the occultation begins at 7:43 p.m. EST; at 7:30 p.m. EST in Key West; and at 6:36 p.m. CST in New Orleans. In the Big Easy, the moon is 5° above the horizon at the start of the occultation. From eastern locations, the moon sets before Mercury reappears.
From Dallas and westward across New Mexico, both disappearance and reappearance are visible. In Dallas, Mercury disappears at 6:43 p.m. CST and reappears at 7:17 p.m. CST. Here, reappearance at the bright limb occurs when the moon is 5° in altitude — height above the horizon.
In Nogales, Arizona, the occultation occurs during bright daylight. Mercury disappears at 5:43 p.m. MST and reappears 25 minutes later. This event is visible only to skilled skywatchers or those using computer-aided telescopes.
For the western regions after sunset, the moon is east of Mercury and still a pretty view with and without optical aid.
Saturn
This evening, Saturn is less than 20° above the west-southwest horizon and over 12° to Mercury’s upper left. It may appear that a Mercury–Saturn conjunction is approaching, although tomorrow Mercury reaches greatest elongation — when we see it farthest from the sun — and then begins retreating into bright twilight. On the way, the speedy planet fades rapidly.
Jupiter and Gemini
Bright Jupiter is farther eastward, high in the east-southeast. While looking for Mercury and the lunar orb, turn eastward. That bright “star” is Jupiter, brighter than all the stars and planets in the sky tonight, until Venus reappears in the western sky after sundown.
The Jovian Giant retrogrades for another few weeks in front of Gemini, near Castor and Pollux, the Twins. Through a binocular find the dimmer star Wasat, to Jupiter’s lower left. Watch the gap from the planet to the star open as retrograde winds down.
Look for a pretty display of Mercury and Moon after sunset in the western sky along with Saturn. Then find Jupiter high in the eastern sky.
Planet Parade?
Late in February, the so-called planet parade consists of planets scattered across the sky rather than aligned or grouped in any meaningful way, even though several are visible during the same evening hours. Jupiter and the moon are the clear standouts, shining high and bright after sunset, while other planets require careful timing and unobstructed horizons. Claims of a rare string of planets across the sky exaggerate what observers can actually see. The February 8 Sky Almanac lays out the geometry, visibility limits, and practical expectations for skywatchers at month’s end.
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