Introduction and Monthly Reminders
The first couple of days in October were great for stargazing! I was able to capture a few images that I will share at the end of this post, as well as a reader submitted picture. The clear skies and warm weather quickly retreated going into the first full week of the month and continues to do so. Watching the weather, it appears that the third week of the month might be a good time to get the last of your stargazing in before the cold weather sets in.
The biggest thing to look forward to this month, in my opinion, is the Orionids meteor shower. It will peak on the 21st, but will be lackluster due to the Full Moon occurring on the 20th. Remember to get away from as much light pollution as possible so that you can see the maximum number of meteors that the Moon will allow us to view. On the 16th, Venus and Antares will be within 2°. This will offer a nice contrast with the red of Antares and the brilliant white of Venus. Mercury will reach its greatest western elongation on the 25th, meaning it should be easier to spot before sunrise.
Think About This....💡
The topic this month goes along with astrophotography which I touched on last month. There are different points of time after sunset and before sunrise which are referred to as "magic hours." These come in a few different kinds such as "golden hour" and "blue hour." There are also different types of twilight, like "civil twilight" and "astronomical twilight" which coincide with the magic hours. After sunset and just before sunrise, the sky is illuminated by the Sun but the Sun is still below the horizon. This is known as twilight. Civil twilight is when there is enough natural light that artificial light is not needed. Only the brightest astronomical targets will be visible, such as Venus and Jupiter. The Sun will be between 0° and 6° below the horizon at this time. This is also known as the golden hour because of the gold color of the sky. During the golden hour and Civil twilight, portrait, city, landscape, Moon, and backlight portrait photography are the best.
Nautical twilight begins when the Sun is between 6° and 12° below the horizon. At this time, the brightest stars can be seen. Nautical twilight gets its name from when sailors used the brightest stars at night to find the direction they needed to sail. The horizon is still visible during nautical twilight. This form of twilight is also called the blue hour. During this time, landscape, portrait, Moon, and city photography is suggested. This is also a great time to start long exposure photography.
Finally, we have astronomical twilight. This is when the Sun is between 12° and 18° below the horizon. The glow of the Sun still lingers but most celestial objects can be seen. This is the time for longer exposure photography, the Milky Way band photography, northern light observation, and other night sky observation. The times for each different twilight and magic hours varies depending on your location and the time of year. There are several apps you can get for your phone or tablet that can let you know the time for each of these.
Below, you will find a few of my latest pictures as well as one submitted by my niece. Enjoy!
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| Milky Way band with phone from Fairfield cemetery. |
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| Milky Way Band and Jupiter at Fairfield cemetery. |
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| Milky Way Band and trees. |
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| Milky Way Band with green trees. |
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| Another Milky Way Band picture. |
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| Northern Milky Way Band with Andromeda Galaxy. |
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| Big Dipper with tree. |
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| Sunset from my niece. |
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| Now get outside and look up! |
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