This October, the astronomy world will be abuzz with night-sky happenings, from a bright and potentially naked-eye-visible comet sighting and a ring-of-fire solar eclipse to multiple meteor showers and Earth’s temporary second moon.
That’s not even counting the continued uptick in northern lights activity as we enter solar maximum, the roughly 11-year peak of solar activity. If September’s aurora sightings, which brought the green and pink ribbons as far south as Ohio and Upstate New York, are any indication, October could be another great northern lights month.
And there’s so much more where that came from. Grab your telescopes and stargazing binoculars; here’s everything to watch for in the action-packed October night sky.
Oct. 2: Annular Solar Eclipse
If you find yourself in Argentina or Chile on Oct. 2, consider yourself lucky. A full annular solar eclipse, with the moon covering all but the sun’s bright orange fringes, will be visible from select southern stretches of the two countries according to NASA. The full “ring of fire” delight will be visible in Patagonian outposts like Perito Moreno National Park in Argentina and Laguna San Rafael National Park in Chile. A partial annular eclipse will also delight sky gazers in Hawaii, Uruguay, Fiji, and Samoa. If you can’t catch the show, enjoy a live stream via Time and Date.
Oct. 7-8: Draconid Meteor Shower Peak
Overnight from Oct. 7 to 8 will bring the peak of the Draconid meteor shower, a spectacle that could produce up to 10 shooting stars per hour under dark, light-pollution-free skies. The 27% illuminated moon will set before 9 p.m., according to EarthSky. That means stargazers can enjoy the show without obstructive lunar illumination. To see the soaring meteors, watch toward the Draco constellation in the north-northwest sky; if you need help finding it, scan for Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Dipper, and look just to the west.
Oct. 12: Optimal Coment Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Viewing
For months, astronomers have been crossing their fingers that Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (pronounced: choo-cheen-shahn, according to the Duluth News Tribune) will stay intact on its late-September transit near the sun — and early predictions sound promising. The exact visibility remains up in the air as of this article’s publication, but the odds are looking good for a bright comet that’s potentially vivid enough to spot with the naked eye. Your best bet to admire it begins Oct. 12, when the comet is closest to the Earth and should be visible, either to the naked eye or via stargazing binoculars or telescope, above the western horizon after sunset. This will be the best evening for viewing the space rock and its signature plume tail. It will rise higher in the sky the evenings that follow, and remain visible with binoculars or a telescope for at least another month, according to Space.com.
Oct. 13: Moon Meets Saturn
October is a great month for viewing Saturn, particularly on Oct. 14, when the ringed planet appears within a few finger widths of the moon throughout much of the early night, starting after sunset. Watch for the meetup halfway up the sky above the southeast-east horizon. The moon will travel above Saturn in the early morning hours before they both set a few hours before dawn, according to stargazing app Sky Safari.
Oct. 17: Super Hunter’s Moon
Another month, another supermoon — this time, the full hunter’s moon, the name given to October’s full lunar orb as it marks the beginning of hunting season in preparation for winter. The moon will reach its fullest at 7:26 a.m. ET, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. While it hits peak illumination on Oct. 17, NASA says skywatchers can enjoy the full and larger-than-normal marvel from the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 15, to the morning of Friday, Oct. 18. To see the moon appear at its largest — when it’s closest to the horizon, known as the moon illusion — watch for our neighboring space rock as it rises in the early evening.
Oct. 20-21: Orionid Meteor Shower Peak
The Orionids, a meteor shower caused by particles from beloved Halley’s comet, will peak overnight from Oct. 20 to 21, according to Earth Sky. The full shower runs from Sept. 26 to Nov. 22; unfortunately, the peak of activity — which brings 10 to 20 meteors per hour under exceptionally dark skies — coincides with the bright waning gibbous moon. If you’re in a dark-sky location, it’s still worth heading out for a peek to see not only the potential shooting stars, which will appear near the constellation Orion, but also orange-tinged Mars and bright Jupiter linking up with the moon in the nearby sky.
Throughout October: Earth’s second moon
In late September, astronomers announced that Earth’s gravitational force nabbed our planet a second and temporary mini moon — an asteroid from our solar system’s Arjuna asteroid belt. Unlike our large and visible moon, the small asteroid is only 37 feet wide — roughly the height of a standard telephone pole. That means it’s too small for amateur telescopes and binoculars, according to Phys.org; instead, visit an observatory with high-powered telescopes, or plan a trip to Flagstaff, Arizona, home to the Lowell Observatory, one of the best places in the country to spy on space.