October Skies
A brief overview of what to see in the sky with the unaided eye:
Stars and Constellations
● The constellations of Pegasus, Andromeda and Cassiopeia are convenient to view during October evenings
● The “Great Square” of Pegasus is high in the eastern sky, or nearly overhead after dusk
● Andromeda extends toward the north from Pegasus
● Cassiopeia is a familiar “W” shape and high in the northeastern sky during autumn evenings
● The “Andromeda Galaxy” in Andromeda is visible as a fuzzy patch during clear and moonless nights away from light pollution, and is easy to spot from darker skies away from urban areas
Planets
● Mercury is not practically visible, very low in the western sky following sunset
● Venus shines brilliantly low in the western sky following sunset
● Mars rises during late evening and is high in the eastern pre-dawn sky in the Gemini constellation
● Jupiter rises during the evening and is high in the southern pre-dawn sky in the Taurus constellation
● Saturn is in the southeastern sky during October evenings in the Aquarius constellation
Moon Phases
● New Moon October 2, 14:49 EDT
● First Quarter Moon October 10, 14:55 EDT
● Full Moon October 17, 07:26 EDT
● Last Quarter Moon October 24, 04:03 EDT
Noteworthy Sky Events
● October 13: Comet Tsuchinsan-ATLAS may become visible in the western evening sky. For updates, check www.skyandtelescope.org and other web resources
● Orionid meteor shower peak occurs Sunday night October 20
Sky Resources Online
Some website resources for sky charts, weekly sky events, and more information:
● astrogeo.ca/skylights
● www.heavens-above.com
● In-the-sky.org
● www.skyandtelescope.org
● www.skymaps.com
Star Chart for mid-October, mid-evening (courtesy of www.heavens-above.com):