Highlights
Your guide to the night sky this month
THURSDAY 4
In the early hours a 29%-lit waning crescent Moon will sit 3° from the open cluster M44, the Beehive Cluster. This presents a great opportunity for astrophotography and a chance to compare the size of both objects using a wide-field instrument, such as binoculars.
FRIDAY 5
Venus is reasonably well separated from the Sun at the start of October but poorly positioned in the evening, setting with our star. If you have the means to locate it during the day (shield your eyes against the Sun!) it’s currently in a slender and rather elegant crescent phase.
MONDAY 8
The Draconid meteor shower is predicted to peak at around midnight to 01:00pm on Tuesday morning. Will a close pass of its parent comet, 21P/Giacobini-Zinner make any difference? Turn to page 52 to find out. A new Moon means prospects for viewing the shower are excellent.
9 TUESDAY
The Moon is new today, leaving the night sky good and dark. This is a great time to try out our Deep Sky Tour on page 62. This month we’re looking at some of the objects at the eastern end of the W-shape in Cassiopeia. It’s also a good time to look for the Andromeda Galaxy, M31.
WEDNESDAY 10
Tonight is predicted to be the peak of activity for the Southern Taurid meteor shower.
THURSDAY 11
Jupiter appears just 4.5° from this evening’s 7%-lit waxing crescent Moon. See both objects in the evening twilight low towards the southwest horizon around 18:30 BST (17:30 UT).
FRIDAY 12
Comet 21P/ GiacobiniZinner is located a little over 6° to the east of Sirius (Alpha (_) Canis Majoris) at present. At mag. +8.3 it should be a binocular object.
SUNDAY
14 This evening it’s the turn of Saturn to appear close to the Moon. Tonight’s meeting has the ringed planet 4.7° from a 31%-lit waxing Moon at 19:00 BST (18:00 UT). Catch them low above the south-southwest horizon.
TUESDAY 16
The clairobscur effects known as the Lunar X and Lunar V reach their peak around 19:00 BST (18:00 UT) tonight.
THURSDAY 18
It’s Mars that gets a lunar visit this evening with the mag. –0.9, orange-hued planet visible 3° from the 68%-lit waxing gibbous Moon at 19:00 BST (18:00 UT).
SUNDAY 21
This evening sees the peak of the Orionid meteor shower. Unfortunately, this year a bright Moon will compromise our view.
WEDNESDAY 24
This evening’s full Moon will reveal the subject of this month’s Moonwatch article, the libration-zone crater Einstein. Turn to page 58 to learn more.
Also, Uranus reaches opposition.
FRIDAY 26
Venus reaches inferior conjunction today, passing a close 6.3° to the south of the Sun. After this it technically becomes a morning object.
SATURDAY 27
The bright orange star that appears 4° to the right of this evening’s rising 86%-lit waning gibbous Moon is Aldebaran (Alpha (_) Tauri), the brightest star in the constellation of Taurus.
SUNDAY 28
At 02:00 BST (01:00 UT), daylight savings in the UK officially comes to an end and the clocks need to be set back by one hour to GMT (UT).
TUESDAY 30
Mercury and Jupiter are just 3.5° apart, low in the southwest after sunset. Mag. –0.1 Mercury will be very low and close to the horizon making this a challenging pair to see.
WEDNESDAY 31
If you have a good southern horizon, look for comet 46P/Wirtanen, due south at 23:30 UT. At mag. +7.4 it should be a binocular object but being very low it will be tricky. The good news is that Wirtanen will start heading north to become a naked-eye object over the next few weeks.