Cosmic Lure: Monthly Night Sky Report: October 2020

Like previous months, September went by much too quickly for me and I was unable to do some serious stargazing. The week I was planning on taking out the telescope, I ended up getting a cold and unable to go. At the beginning of the month, I was able to go on a camping trip on the backside of Mount Timpanogos in Utah and was able to capture a few images. As in previous posts, I will share the best images at the end.

October will likely be the last month of the year for many to take out their gear. The tenth month usually brings much cooler temperatures and even snow in Utah. I hope to have one more outing with the telescope in the early part of the month before the cold sets in. During the month, we will find Mars reaching opposition, a Blue Moon, which is the second Full Moon in the span of a month, and the return of the Orionid Meteor shower.

Mercury

Mercury can be viewed in the early part of the month just after sunset. Mercury will shine at magnitude 0 on the first evening of the month and will grow dimmer (positive magnitude!) with each passing day as it moves closer to the Sun from our Earthly view. By the end of the first week, Mercury will be too close to the Sun to view until November, when the innermost planet can be found rising before the morning Sun.

Venus

Venus will continue to be an easy object to see. It rises a few hours before the Sun and shines at magnitude -4.0 on the first morning of the month. Venus can still easily be seen as the glow of the morning Sun creeps above the eastern mountains. During the first 3 mornings or so of October, Venus will be found close to Regulus in the constellation of Leo. Ordinarily, this star would be easy to spot but with bright Venus near, it may be harder than usual. As the month progresses, Venus will rise later as it approaches the Sun from our vantage point. During this trek, Venus will pass from Leo into the constellation of Virgo. Using a telescope or a pair of binoculars, an observer will notice the phase changes of Venus as the month progresses and our sister planet moves closer to the Sun.

Mars

After much anticipation, Mars will finally reach opposition on the 13th. This will be the best chance for many Northern Hemisphere observers to view the red planet. In 2018 when Mars was at opposition and close to the Earth, a planet-wide dust storm blocked our Earthly view of any surface detail. I also recall taking the telescope out to the desert to view Mars, but the skies were filled with smoke from California and Utah wildfires. Hopefully this year will provide better viewing conditions. Granted that seeing conditions are favorable, we will not have such a grand view of the red planet for another 15 years, until 2035 when it will again make a close approach to the Earth. This year however, Mars will make its closest approach to Earth on October 6th, bringing it to less than half of the Earth-Sun distance. As you may recall, the distance to the Sun from Earth is known as one Astronomical Unit (AU) and is approximately 93 million miles.

On the first evening of the month, Mars and the Full Moon will rise together after sunset. Towards the end of the month, on the 29th, the pair will again be found rising together. The best time to view Mars, or any object, is when it lies high in the sky instead of close to the horizon. The second half of the month will bring the volcanic region of Mars to view and towards the end of the month observers may be able to spot Valles Marineris. I hope to the have the chance to spot one or both of these features this month.

Jupiter

Jupiter should continue to be one of your first targets with your telescope after sunset. It will likely be the first object noticed in the southern sky. A telescope will easily show the four Galilean Moons and may even reveal the cloud bands and Great Red Spot. An observer may also witness the transit of one of these moons and/or its shadow across the surface of this giant planet. On the 21st and 22nd of the month, the Moon can be found close to Jupiter and Saturn which will likely obscure most detail an observer would want to see.

Saturn

After viewing Jupiter, aim your telescope slightly to the upper left to view Saturn. Most telescopes will easily reveal the rings which inspire awe in many people. Through a telescope, an observer may also notice Titan, the largest moon in our solar system. Those with a larger telescope may also notice Tethys, Dione, and Rhea, a few of the larger, brighter moons of Saturn. The Earth's Moon will join Saturn in the sky on the 22nd. After viewing Jupiter and Saturn, move your telescope to view Mars, as it should be high enough in the sky for excellent viewing.

Neptune

Uranus

The outer two planets are best viewed through a telescope but can still be seen through a pair of binoculars. On the 31st, Uranus will also reach opposition this month. A telescope won't provide any surface detail as is possible with Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, but it will show the blue-green disk of the planet. Uranus can be found in the constellation of Aries and will be joined by the Moon on the 3rd and again on the 30th. If trying to star hop to find Uranus, wait until the Pleiades rise above the mountains around 10:30 or 11. You can then draw a line connecting Mars and the Pleiades. About halfway between the pair, you should be able to spot Uranus. As October progresses, Mars will be moving away from the Pleiades so Uranus will no longer be found precisely at the midpoint, but closer to the star cluster. If you are having trouble, pull out your favorite star chart or star app to help you find this planet!

Neptune will be harder to spot as there are no bright objects to help locate our most distant planet. The best chance for finding Neptune is to use your lowest power eyepiece and a star chart or star app. Compare what you see in your telescope to what you see in your references and try to find Neptune in this way. It will appear as a blue disk in your telescope instead of a pinpoint object like a star. The Moon can be found close to Neptune on the 26th, which may help in locating this planet.

Meteor Shower

This month brings the return of the Orionid Meteor Shower. It will peak on the 21st under a nearly Moon-free sky. This will allow more meteors to be seen, especially if you are able to get away from city lights. The Orionid meteor shower will appear to radiate from the constellation of Orion, so find yourself a spot where this constellation is easily visible. The best time to watch is when Orion is higher in the sky, which will be around 4 in the morning. Don't forget that if you are unable to view the meteor shower on the peak date, the days leading up to and a few days after will also be decent viewing opportunities. On the peak date, an observer may see up to 20 meteors per hour.

Spot Me....🕵️

I've had you try to spot quite a few different objects in the night sky, most of which require a telescope. Before the cold sets in this winter, I encourage everyone to go outside and try to see all of the planets that you can. For those with unaided eyes, you should be able to see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. For those with a telescope, you will also be able to see Uranus and Neptune. All of them are visible during the first week of October with only Mercury dropping off the list by the second week of the month. The Moon will also be a great target this month. If you don't own a telescope, use a pair of binoculars and you will be amazed at the detail you can see on our nearest neighbor. For those wanting to see a deep sky object, try using a pair of binoculars or a telescope on the Orion Nebula. This will have to be done in the early morning hours since Orion does not rise above the mountains until after midnight. Orion will rise earlier with each passing day and will soon be visible all night. When this happens, I will again encourage you to look at the Orion Nebula. Even a pair of binoculars will show you things that you can't see with the unaided eye.

As always, leave a comment to let me and others know what you see!