Monthly star guide - What to see in October Night Sky (2023)What to see in the October night sky including Moon phases, a partial solar eclipse, planet guide, the Draconid and Orionid Meteor Showers and October Deep Space Objects.
October Moon Phases
October's full moon is called the Hunter's moon. October is the preferred month to hunt summer-fattened deer and fox unable to hide in bare fields. Like the harvest moon, the hunter's moon is also particularly bright and long in the sky, giving hunters the opportunity to stalk prey at night. Other names include the travel moon and the dying grass moon.
Full Moon and New Moon for October 2023
October 2023 Last QuarterSat 7th Oct
October 2023 New MoonSun 15th Oct
October 2023 First QuarterSun 22nd Oct
October 2023 Full MoonSun 29th Oct
Notable Events in October
On October 14th we get to witness a annular solar eclipse. A annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is a little farther away than usual and appears smaller in the sky. As a result it cannot fully eclipse the Sun and a ring of light is seen instead. A solar eclipse can only be safely observed with a special solar filter or by looking at the Sun's reflection. This annular solar eclipse will be best seen from North America. NASA Map and Eclipse Information
On October 28th we see a partial lunar eclipse. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, or penumbra, and only a portion of it passes through the darkest shadow, or umbra. The eclipse will be visible throughout all of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and western Australia. NASA Map and Eclipse Information
October Planets
Mercury is an elusive planet due to its proximity to the Sun. On October 25th it reaches its greatest distance from the Sun allowing it to be seen with the naked eye in the pre-dawn twilight. It will be low over the eastern horizon about 30 minutes before sunrise.
Venus returns to the evening sky, in the west at dusk from Early October through till the end of December. It will reach greatest western elongation on the 23rd as it moves through Leo.
From mid October, Mars returns the evening sky until the end of December.
Jupiter is a splendid object visible in the southern sky as soon as darkness falls. Using higher magnifications you will see the yellowish flattened disc and as the four Galilean satellites. You should be able to follow the movement of these moons from night-to-night. It will be visible in the mornings from January to May, evenings from May to November, and mornings again from mid-December to the end of December. On the 5th of October you may be able to see Ganymede's shadow pass over Jupiter's surface at 21:46 - 23:53 UT.
Saturn is visible in the mornings from late January to early July, then in the evenings from July to December.
October Meteor Showers
The Draconids Meteor Shower is a minor meteor shower producing only about 10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was first discovered in 1900. The Draconids is an unusual shower in that the best viewing is in the early evening instead of early morning like most other showers. The shower runs annually from October 6-10 and peaks this year on the the night of the 7th. The first quarter moon will block out all but the brightest meteors this year. If you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be in the early evening from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
The Orionids is an average shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Halley, which has been known and observed since ancient times. The shower runs annually from October 2 to November 7. It peaks this year on the night of October 21 and the morning of October 22. The first quarter moon may block some of the dim meteors in the evening, but the moon will set shortly after midnight resulting in darker skies. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Orion, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
October Deep Space Objects
As the warm nights of summer give way to crisp autumnal evenings, there's plenty of autumn deep sky objects to see in the night skies. We take a look at some of the top sights to see during autumn.
M22 is the third brightest star cluster visible in the northern hemisphere and is known to contain at least 75,000 stars. Its low altitude means that it is often overlooked, but at magnitude +5.1, it is a naked eye object and a fine target for small telescopes. It is fairly easy to see in the low southern skies in the constellation of Sagittarius, approximately half way from Nunki to µ Sgr. M28 lies nearby, and although lower again
The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and Triangulum Galaxy (M33) are the real showpieces of the autumnal skies. Both are visible to the naked eye from dark sky sights, and both fine binocular targets. A small telescope will show M31's satellite galaxies M32 and M110, as well as the galaxies dust lanes.
You can find M33 by following the line from the star Mirach to Upsilon Andromedae, and extending it about the same distance in a straight line.
M33 can be found just less than two-thirds of the way between the stars Hamal in Aries, and Mirach in Andromeda. Through a small telescope, it will appear as a faint, oval shaped patch of light, while larger telescopes should be able to pick out more detail under dark skies.
