OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS Your guide to the night sky this month
Tuesday 18 Mag. –0.9 Mercury lies 0.8˚ from the binary star Porrima (Gamma (γ) Virginis), the pairing visible in the early morning sky after 06:30 BST (05:30 UT).
Monday
24 This morning sees an excellent opportunity to spot a very thin waning crescent Moon. Look low above the east-southeast horizon from 07:00 BST (06:00 UT) for mag. –1.0 Mercury with a 2%-lit Moon 4.1˚ above it. Turn to page 47 for details.
◀ Saturday
15 This morning’s 73%-lit Moon lies 3.2˚ to the north of mag. –0.9 Mars.
Wednesday
19 With a telescope, just after sunset see Europa, its shadow and Ganymede’s shadow transit Jupiter. Ganymede itself appears off the southwest limb. Europa exits the transit at 19:40 BST (18:40 UT) and Ganymede’s shadow at 20:10 BST (19:10 UT).
◀ Sunday
The clairobscur effects known as the lunar X and V are visible early evening and reach their peak just before 19:00 BST (18:00 UT) .
Saturday ▶
Mercury reaches greatest western elongation, 18˚ from the Sun in the morning sky.
This evening the almost full 98%-lit waxing gibbous Moon sits 2.7˚ below mag. –2.8 Jupiter.
Friday ▶
21 The Orionid meteor shower is predicted to reach its peak around 19:00 BST (18:00 UT), meaning tonight and into tomorrow morning will be the best viewing window. Turn to page 47 for more information.
◀ Tuesday
25 A partial solar eclipse can be seen from the UK between 10:00 BST (09:00 UT) and 12:00 BST (11:00 UT). The eclipse is greater towards the northeast of the UK, with maximum magnitudes of 40% coverage from Shetland. See page 46 for more details.
Wednesday
This evening’s 80%-lit waxing gibbous Moon sits 5˚ to the southeast of mag. +0.6 Saturn.
◀ Sunday
16 Catch the moon Ganymede being occulted by Jupiter at 01:03 BST (00:03 UT).
Later, just after sunset, catch the outer Galilean moon Callisto close to the Giant Planet’s northern limb.
Wednesday
26 It’s a Galilean moon jackpot, with transits by Ganymede at 18:15 BST (17:15 UT), Europa at 19:25 BST (18:25 UT), Io’s shadow from 20:53 BST (19:53 UT) and Ganymede’s from 21:18 BST (20:18 UT). Io is occulted at 20:03 BST (19:03 UT).
Thursday ▶
Your first good opportunity to spy our Moonwatch target (see page 52), the 40km crater Harpalus found north of the Bay of Rainbows, occurs this evening. Your next chances will be on the mornings of 20 and 21 October. Monday ▶ 17 Mag. –0.4 Mars lies 1.2˚ north of M1, the Crab Nebula this evening. A famous supernova remnant, the Crab is considerably dimmer than the planet at mag. +8.4.
Saturday
22 Venus will pass 1.1˚ to the north of the centre of the Sun’s disc today as it reaches superior conjunction, marking its transition from the morning into the evening sky.
Sunday
30 UK Daylight Savings Time ends at 02:00 BST this morning, with clocks going back to 01:00 UT.
Mars reverses direction in the sky and is now showing retrograde motion against the background stars.
◀ Sunday
There’s a chance to see Ganymede emerge from the eclipse of Jupiter’s shadow this morning from 01:54 BST (00:54 UT). The moon’s disc takes around 10 minutes to fully come out from the Jovian shade, to the east of the planet.
12
As dawn approaches, the 94%-lit waning gibbous Moon can be seen approaching Uranus, lying 1.7˚ west of the planet at 05:00 BST (04:00 UT). Uranus appears 5 arcseconds from the Moon’s southern limb at 08:33 BST (07:33 UT).