OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS
Your guide to the night sky this month
Wednesday
9 The early morning sees the peak of the annual Draconid meteor shower. The ZHR is as high as around 20 meteors per hour. On 10 October, a bright waxing gibbous Moon sets around 03:00 BST (02:00 UT).
Thursday ▶
24 A double shadow transit takes place on Jupiter’s disc today – the twist being that it occurs during the hours of daylight. Turn to page 47 for details on how to observe it.
Monday
28 Today, Uranus reaches opposition in the constellation of Aries. Turn to page 48 for details on how to locate it, and page 76 for details on how to image its moons.
Thursday
10 With a maximum ZHR of five meteors per hours, the Southern Taurids reaches its peak. The Northern Taurids peak later in the year.
Tuesday ▶
29 If you have clear skies, look for Venus shortly after sunset low in the southwest. This evening, mag. –3.8 Venus appears 2.8° below a 3%-lit waxing crescent Moon. Turn to page 46 for more information.
Sunday
13 The minor planet 29 Amphitrite reaches opposition today, appearing at mag. +8.7 in Pisces. Turn to page 47 for further information.
◀ Tuesday
A dark, moonless start to October presents a good opportunity to look at the Andromeda Galaxy, M31, and Triangulum Galaxy, M33, both of which are high in the sky in the early hours.
Saturday ▶
Mag. +0.9 Saturn and the first quarter Moon appear just 1° apart at around 22:30 BST (21:30 UT).
At 20:00 BST (19:00 UT) a tenth-magnitude star lies 34 arcseconds from the centre of Jupiter.
Sunday
20 Mercury is at its greatest eastern elongation of 24.6°. Despite this, the planet isn’t well located as seen from the UK.
The Epsilon Geminid meteor shower is at its peak, with a ZHR of 3 meteors per hour.
Friday
25 The minor planet 9 Metis reaches opposition today. Metis will appear at a favourable mag. +8.6 in the constellation of Cetus.
Wednesday
30 If you can catch bright Venus shortly after sunset, you might be able to catch a glimpse of mag. +0.5 Mercury 2.6° to the south of it. The window of opportunity is short though.
Thursday
A 30%-lit waxing crescent Moon appears 1.5° to the northwest of mag. –1.9 Jupiter this evening.
Thursday
31 Jupiter will appear 24 arcminutes south of the centre of a 14%-lit Moon during daylight – that’s 9 arcminutes from the Moon’s southern limb. Turn to page 46 for details on how to locate it.
Friday
The Delta Aurigids meteor shower is at its peak. This shower has a low Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) of just 3 meteors per hour.
The clair obscur effect, Alexander’s Beaded Rim, is visible this evening – see Moonwatch on page 52.
Tuesday ▶
The clair obscur effect known as the Jewelled Handle is visible as sunlight catches the mountain peaks of Montes Jura, which borders Sinus Iridum (the Bay of Rainbows).
◀ Monday
21 Today is the peak of the Orionid meteor shower, which has a maximum ZHR of 20 meteors per hour. But a 55%-lit waning gibbous Moon will be located not too far from the radiant, reducing the number of meteors that can be seen.
Sunday
27 With the Moon out of the way, the sky is dark for exploring Camelopardalis. See our Deep-Sky Tour on page 56.
The clocks go back by one hour, bringing daylight savings time to an end for the UK.