Moon Phases
Mon., October 8, 3:33 a.m. EDT
Last Quarter Moon
The last or third quarter moon rises around 11:15 p.m. and
sets around 2:50 p.m. It is most easily seen just after sunrise in the southern
sky.
Mon., October 15, 8:02 a.m. EDT
New Moon
The moon is not visible on the date of new moon because it
is too close to the sun, but can be seen low in the east as a narrow crescent a
morning or two before, just before sunrise. It is visible low in the west an
evening or two after new moon.
Sun., October 21, 11:32 p.m. EDT
First Quarter Moon
The first quarter moon rises around 2:00 p.m. and sets
around 12:20 a.m. It dominates the evening sky
Mon., October 29, 3:49 p.m. EDT
Full Moon
The full moon of October is called the hunter's moon. In
Algonquian it is called the white frost on grass moon. Other names are travel
moon, dying grass moon, blood moon and harvest moon. In Hindi it is known as
kojagiri or sharad purnima or lakshmi puja. Its Sinhala (Buddhist) name is vap.
The full moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, the only night in
the month when the moon is in the sky all night long. The rest of the month,
the moon spends at least some time in the daytime sky.
Observing Highlights
Wed., October 3, 4 a.m.
Venus and Regulus
Venus will pass just south of the first magnitude star
Regulus this morning. Venus now looks like a tiny waning gibbous moon, 72%
illuminated, within the same telescope field as Regulus.
Thu., October 4, 11 p.m.
Jupiter and friends at moonrise
As the moon rises this evening, it is in the midst of the
Pleiades and the Hyades, and is joined by the red giant star Aldebaran and the
planet Jupiter. The same cast appears tomorrow at moonrise, but the moon has
moved to the left of Jupiter. Observers in southern Australia will see the moon
occult Jupiter.
Sat., October 13–27, pre-dawn
Zodiacal light
The faint glow of the zodiacal light will rise in the east
ahead of the sun along the line of the ecliptic, as marked by Venus and
Regulus. Don’t confuse it with the faint glow of the Milky Way in the
southeast, marked by Sirius and Procyon.
Wed., October 17, sunset
Mars, Mercury and the moon
The 3-day-old crescent moon framed by the planets Mars and
Mercury will be a challenge for northern observers unless they have a very low
southwestern horizon. Observers in the southern hemisphere will have a much
better view.
Sun., October 21, midnight–dawn
Orionid meteor shower
The Orionids are remnants of Halley’s Comet scattered along
its orbit, one of the finest meteor showers in the year. The meteors appear to
radiate from a point just between Orion’s club and the Gemini twins’ feet, but
may be seen anywhere in the sky.
Fri.–Sat., October 26–27, sunset
Mercury at greatest eastern elongation
The first view is from northeastern North America, where the
angle of the ecliptic at sunset is very close to the horizon, making Mercury
(and Mars) hard to see.
The second view is from southern Australia about 12 hours
later, where the ecliptic is perpendicular to the horizon, making Mercury (and
Mars) much easier to see.
Planets
Mercury is at
greatest eastern elongation from the sun on October 26, appearing low on the
southwestern horizon about an hour after sunset. This apparition favors
observers in the southern hemisphere.
Venus is now a
morning “star,” shining brightly before sunrise. It begins the month in Leo,
crossing into Virgo on October 23.
Mars is fading into
the west towards the sun. It moves from Libra through Scorpius into Ophiuchus
during the month. Mars is low in the southwest at sunset and sets around 8:00
p.m..
Jupiter is now well
placed most of the night in Taurus. It rises around 9 p.m.
Saturn is too close
to the sun to be observed, being in conjunction with the sun on October 25.
Uranus is visible most of the night in Pisces.
Neptune remains in the
depths of Aquarius all month, and is visible most of the night, setting at 3
a.m.
Geoff Gaherty
Starry Night Software Support
