This is a list of astronomical related discoveries, events, and more that occurred in 1988.
July[]
- July 13: Astronomers Bruce Campbell, G. A. H. Walker and Stephenson Yang publish a radial-velocity observation suggesting that an extrasolar planet orbits Gamma Cephei. The planet is confirmed in 2003.
September[]
- September 29: NASA resumes Space Shuttle flights, which were grounded after the Challenger disaster.
October[]
- October 13: 4407 Taihaku is discovered by Masahiro Koishikawa.
November[]
- November 8: 4539 Miyagino is discovered by Masahiro Koishikawa.
- November 15: The uncrewed spacecraft Buran was launched by an Energia rocket in the Soviet Union.
December[]
- December 2: 3994 Ayashi is discovered by Masahiro Koishikawa.
Unknown Date[]
- The Okroy Cloud is studied by Bogdan Wszolek and Solvia Massi.