During the month of September, Utah finally started to see some smoke free days and nights. I was able to take advantage of them during a couple of the weekends and shared some of the images that I have taken in the midmonth post for September. I was also able to take a few more pictures that I will share in my midmonth post, as well as a reader submitted photo of the sunset!
October will continue to cool off as we enter fall in the northern hemisphere. In past years, Utah has seen snowfall beginning during the tenth month, but currently the temperatures are forecasted to be above normal. Astronomers and stargazers alike will be able to take advantage of this warmer weather if the forecast holds true. October will bring the return of the Orionid meteor shower and we will see Mercury rise before the Sun in the early morning hours. The early risers may have also noticed Orion the Hunter high in the morning sky. Venus will dominate the early evening sky while the gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn, will rule most of the night.
 |
| Mercury |
Mercury will reach inferior conjunction with the Sun on October 9th but will return to our morning sky a few short days later. This tiny planet should be visible rising above the mountains on the 13th but the best chance of viewing Mercury will come later when it brightens and creates more distance between it and the Sun from our vantage point. This greatest distance, western elongation, will occur on the 25th this month and will find Mercury shining at -0.4 magnitude. By the end of the month, Mercury will brighten to -0.7 magnitude, making it easier to spot in the morning sky.
 |
| Venus |
Venus will shine brilliantly this month after sunset. Our sister planet will likely be one of the first two "stars" that an observer will see, with the second being Jupiter in the southeast sky. Venus will be joined by a slim crescent Moon on the 9th in the constellation of Scorpius. Venus will approach the red eye of the scorpion, Antares, on the 16th, and will continue its trek through this constellation and into the Milky Way Band by the end of the month.
 |
| Mars |
Mars will be in conjunction with the Sun on the 7th and will not be visible until December, when it returns to the morning sky.
 |
| Jupiter |
The two gas giants will continue to dominate the evening sky during October. They will both be visible shortly after sunset in the southeast sky and will set a few hours after midnight during the first week of the month and between midnight and one in the morning by the end of the month. Both planets will reside in Capricornus.
Jupiter will continue to trail Saturn in the night sky. It will also appear the brighter of two and as such, will likely be the first one that draws your attention. Jupiter will be a great target for binoculars, which will reveal the four Galilean Moons, and a telescope, which can reveal the cloud band colors and structure. A telescope will also offer the chance to view the shadow of one of the Galilean moons on the cloud tops. The 14th will bring the nearly 75% lit surface of the Moon below Jupiter.
Saturn can be found to the west (right) of Jupiter and will appear as the next brightest "star" in this region of sky. Be sure to use your telescope to reveal the majestic rings which make this planet famous, and even the chance to see Titan, the second largest moon in the solar system, with the largest being Ganymede, one of the Galilean Moons. The Earth's moon will be found close to Saturn on the 13th.
 |
| Neptune |
 |
| Uranus |
The outer two planets are best viewed through a telescope but can still be seen through a pair of binoculars. Uranus will rise above the Rocky Mountains around 9pm Utah time on the first evening of October and nearly two hours earlier by the end of the month. To the left of this dim planet you should be able to see the Pleiades star cluster. Personally, I can count about 7 stars in this cluster with the unaided eye while others think it looks like a fuzzy blob unless a pair of binoculars or a telescope is used. Uranus will be joined by the Full Moon on the 21st.
Neptune will be visible after sunset in the south eastern sky, trailing behind Saturn and Jupiter. The Moon will pass close by Neptune on the 17th this month.
Meteor Shower
The Orionid meteor shower will peak on the 21st this month. Unfortunately, this coincides with the Full Moon, so all but the brightest meteors will be obscured. This meteor shower is active between October 2nd and November 7th, so if you are able to get away from city lights between these dates, you should be able to observe some of these meteors. On the peak date, an observer could see up to 20 meteors per hour, if not for the Full Moon. As the name suggests, the Orionids appear to radiate from the constellation of Orion, which begins to rise above the Utah mountains around midnight on the 1st and approximately 10 by the end of the month.
Spot Me....🕵️
I've had you try to spot quite a few different objects in the night sky, most of which require a telescope. As the temperature drops, I will encourage you to view two easy star clusters. The first is the Pleiades (M45), which will rise around 9pm at the beginning of the month and about 2 hours earlier by the end of the month. This star cluster can be seen with the unaided eye, where my eyes can count 7 individual stars while others may only see a fuzzy blob. This star cluster is very large so an observer will want to use an eyepiece that gives a wide field of view, such as a 30mm. A pair of binoculars will also give a grand view of the Pleiades. The best way to find M45 is to use the belt stars of Orion. This constellation won't rise above the horizon until after midnight which will place the Pleiades high in the sky, which is ideal for targeting them in a telescope or binoculars. As Orion rises, use the three belt stars to form a line. Extend this line towards the zenith and it will guide you to M45. See the images below for help if needed.
 |
| Night sky with Orion. |
 |
| Draw a line through the belt stars towards the zenith and you will find the M45 (circled in orange). |
After viewing M45, drop your gaze slightly below to the red star Aldebaran. This star represents the red eye of Taurus the Bull. Looking in this region of the sky, you should notice the stars making the shape of a "V" laying on its side. This "V" makes up the face of Taurus and also is the Hyades star cluster. Using your widefield eyepiece or binoculars, you should notice several stars here that your unaided eye can't see. If you need help finding the Hyades, see the images below.
 |
| Face of Taurus and the Hyades circled in orange. |
These images were provided by Stellarium.
Monthly Breakdown
October 06: New Moon 🌑
October 07: Mars and Sun conjunction
October 09: Mercury reaches inferior conjunction
October 09: Moon passes within 3° of Venus
October 12: First Quarter Moon 🌓
October 13: Moon passes within 4° of Saturn
October 14: Moon passes within 4° of Jupiter
October 16: Venus and Antares within 2°
October 17: Moon passes within 4° of Neptune
October 20: Full Moon 🌕
October 21: Orionid meteor shower peaks
October 21: Moon passes within 2° of Uranus
October 25: Mercury reaches greatest western elongation
October 28: Last Quarter Moon 🌗
October 29: Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation
Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts. You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.
 |
| Now get outside and look up! |
Planet images taken by NASA.
Andrew vs. the Cosmos taken by Jeff Greenland.
No comments:
Post a Comment