As we move forth into October we’re headed into a great month for those who love gazing at the stars. Sure, it might not sound like much to some but if you have a telescope, I suggest you get it out now.
This month is going to kick off with a bright full moon on the night of October 1st in Aries and from there the Orionid meteor shower will be present throughout the month peaking from the 20th to the 22nd. This shower is one that is well worth checking out as it brings forth about 10-20 meteors per hour. I know, that might not sound like a lot but if you want to make a few wishes, it’s the shower to view.
This shower has a radiant point stemming from Orion itself and if you’re wanting to get the best view perhaps looking to Orion’s Club would be in your best interest. However, if you miss peak nights you can still catch a few shooting stars here and there all month at the wee morning hours. I for one absolutely love meteor showers and this one is always one of my favorites every year. While we do not know if it will perform well this time around or not, on occasion it really puts on a great show.
We should also note that Mars will be visible throughout this month as it comes nearest our planet on October 13th. If you want to view you can do so with your naked eye or as noted above put your telescope to good use if you have one. With a telescope looking to the lower eastern sky will help you find the red planet and well, it’s quite beautiful.
Now, as if that wasn’t plenty to look forward to there will also be another full moon near the end of the month on Halloween, yes that makes it a blue moon. This blue moon might be a bit dulled out but it will be quite large in the sky and really add to the spooky factor as the holiday most adore comes around. This month is packed with interesting events and I for one don’t plan on missing out.
To learn more about what October may hold astronomically take a look at the video below. Which of these things will you be looking most forward to? I am going to try and catch them all.