Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) said on the 24th that on Jan. 1 the first sunrise will appear first at Dokdo at 7:26 a.m. After that, in Ulsan's Ganjeolgot and Bangojin, sunrise can be seen from 7:31 a.m., followed by confirmations of the first sunrise of the new year one after another along the East Sea coast and in parts of the interior.
The time of the last sunset of the year was also released. On Dec. 31, the place where the sun sets the latest will be Gageo Island in Sinan, South Jeolla, where the sun can be seen setting until 5:40 p.m. On land, Sebangnakjo in Jindo, South Jeolla, is expected to be the latest, with sunset observable until 5:35 p.m.
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) explained that the time released this time was calculated based on an altitude of 0 meters (sea level). The higher the elevation, the farther the horizon appears, so sunrise comes earlier; for example, at an altitude of 100 meters, the actual sunrise can be about 2 minutes earlier than the released time. Sunrise refers to the moment when the upper part of the sun first appears above the horizon (sea horizon), and sunset refers to the moment when the upper part of the sun completely disappears below the horizon (sea horizon).
Meanwhile, major astronomical events will continue in 2026's night sky. On March 3, the first full moon of the lunar year, a "total lunar eclipse," in which the moon is completely covered by Earth's umbra, will occur. The partial phase starts at 6:49:48 p.m., the totality begins in earnest from 8:04 p.m., the maximum occurs at 8:33:42 p.m., totality ends at 9:03:24 p.m., and the partial phase wraps up at 10:17:36 p.m.
This lunar eclipse will be observable in East Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and the Americas, and in Korea, the eclipse will already be underway before moonrise, allowing the entire process to be seen through the end time.
Representative meteor showers will arrive as in previous years. The Quadrantids in January, the Perseids in August, and the Geminids in December, known as the "big three meteor showers," are scheduled. However, both the annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17 and the total solar eclipse on Aug. 13 will be difficult to observe in Korea.
Scenes where planets and the moon gather in one frame are also anticipated. From the evening of June 16 to around 8:30 p.m. on the 18th, a period is expected when Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, and the moon can be observed simultaneously.
The full moon rising on Dec. 24 is expected to be 2026's largest full moon, while the full moon on May 31 is expected to be the smallest. The size difference between the two full moons is about 14%.