The glories of October’s night sky can at best be described as ‘Subtle’. The dull autumn constellations are already being challenged by the brilliant lights of winter. Spearheaded by the beautiful star cluster of the Pleiades.
Ursa Major, or the Plough, is to all intents and purposes at its lowest in the North. The ‘W’ of Cassiopeia is not far from the overhead point.
The summer triangle of Altair, Deneb and Vega remains high up. The barren square of Pegasus dominates the southern sky, with Andromeda attached it its side. The bright star Capella in the constellation of Auriga the Charioteer is becoming more noticeable in the east. It will be overhead in winter evenings.
Although the four stars that form the Square of Pegasus are not the brightest, once found they will be easily recognised again. If you use the two right hand stars of the square and draw a line to the south you will reach a bright star very low in the sky. This star is Fomalhaut, in the constellation of Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish.
The Planets
MERCURY
The innermost planet will be lost in the Suns glare this month even though Mercury is at its greatest separation from the Sun on 12th of October.
VENUS
Like Mercury will be too close to the Sun for observation this month.
MARS
The red planet is moving through the stars of Cancer this month, shinning at magnitude -1.0. On the morning of 5th of the month the Moon passes just above Mars. In the early hours of the 11th Mars lies right in front of the stars of M44 the Beehive star cluster. Seen through binoculars or a low power telescope it will be a ruby set in a field of diamonds. Towards the end of October the red planet is closing in on Jupiter.
JUPITER
The gas giant rises about 2am, in the constellation of Leo. Shinning resplendent at magnitude –1.9. The crescent Moon lies above Jupiter on the morning of 6th of this month. On the last few mornings of October, Jupiter is at the centre of a ‘Menage-a-trois’, below Mars and above Regulus.
SATURN
The ring world is at opposition on 4th October. Saturn is located in the constellation of Cetus, Just to the south of the zodiacal constellation of Pisces. Visible all night long with a magnitude of +0.3. On the 23rd and 24th of the month the Moon lies near Saturn. Using a low power telescope you can see the planets famous rings and some of its larger satellites, including Titan, which is swathed in dense orange clouds.
URANUS
Uranus is just visible to the naked eye, at magnitude +5.6 but much easily seen with binoculars or a low power telescope. Visible all night long from around 7.30pm, in constellation of Taurus.
NEPTUNE
You will need good binoculars or a telescope to track down Neptune. Shinning with a measly magnitude of +7.7 Neptune lies, swimming among the undistinguished stars of the constellation of Pisces. The outer most planet falls below the horizon about 5.30am.
PLUTO
This distant planet can be observed in a ten-inch or larger telescope. It can be found in the constellation of Capricornus, at magnitude +14.5. Pluto falls below the horizon shortly after 11.30pm.
CERES
This dwarf planet is located between the constellation of Gemini. With a Magnitude +8.5, it rises about 10.30pm.
Highlights for this month
5th October – On the night of the 5th at 6am the crescent Moon skims over Mars, at a separation of only 25 arcminutes.
6th October – Before dawn breaks the crescent Moon lies above brilliant Jupiter.
7th October – The Moon is near to the star Regulus.
14th October – The crescent Moon is near the star Antares.
23rd October – The Moon lies to the left of Saturn.
24th October – The Moon lies above Saturn.
25th October – At 2am British summer time ends.
27th and 28th October – The almost full Moon occults the upper stars of the Pleiades star cluster.
Meteor showers
There are two meteor showers this month
October 9th 2023, the Draconids. The radiant point for the Draconid meteor shower almost coincides with the head of the constellation Draco the Dragon in the northern sky. That’s why the Draconids are best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere.
The Draconid shower is a real oddity, in that the radiant point stands highest in the sky as darkness falls. That means that, unlike many meteor showers, more Draconids are likely to fly in the evening hours than in the morning hours after midnight.
The Orionid Meteor Shower peaks in the late night of 21st October and early morning of 22nd October. Best seen in the early morning hours after the Moon has set.
On 30th and 31st look out for ‘Halloween fireballs’, brilliant meteors from Encke’s Comet called the Taurids. They reach their peak next month.
Phases of the Moon:-
Last quarter 3rd October
New Moon 10th October
First quarter 18th October
Full Moon 26th October