Monthly Night Sky Report: October 2023

        Introduction

    September was a great month for stargazing as I could finally get out my telescope not only once but twice! Unfortunately, both outings took place in bright city lights but were still worth the effort. The first weekend didn't go as well as I had hoped, but the following weekend was great. I could view the planets Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, and the Moon. I also viewed M13 (Hercules Cluster), M57 (Ring Nebula), the Double Cluster in Perseus (NGC 869 and NGC 884), and M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), all objects that I have previously viewed. I also targeted a few new objects, including Almaak (or Almach), a multiple-star system comprised of a bright yellow and blue star, and the Owl Cluster ( NGC 457) in Cassiopeia. These objects were spectacular and are definitely on my short list of items to view the next time I have the telescope out. I could view Venus, Jupiter, and Orion in the morning sky with unaided eyes. As the rising Sun brightened the sky, I could also see the Belt of Venus.  

    There are a few special events during October, so I hope the good weather continues. October will bring the return of the Orionid Meteor Shower, which will peak under favorable conditions this year. This month also brings an Annular Solar Eclipse or "Ring of Fire" Eclipse, which will favor viewers in central Utah. See the link in my September mid-month post or later in this post. There will also be several conjunctions between the Moon and the planets. Read on for the details!

             

Mercury

     Mercury can be viewed in the morning sky during early October. Observers with a clear view of the eastern horizon before sunrise will see Mercury shining at magnitude -1.0 on the first and continue to brighten for the first week of October. The innermost planet will lose altitude as the month progresses, becoming lost from view after the first week, and will reach conjunction with the Sun on the 20th. Mercury will return to view in the evening sky next month. 

  

Venus

    Venus will be easy to spot in the morning sky and visible all month. This bright planet will start the month off in Leo and can be found near the Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, on the 10th. A thin crescent Moon will join the pair on the same morning. As the month advances. the stars of Leo will appear to be running away from Venus while the stars of Virgo approach. During the New Moon phase, Venus can be used as a guide to find the zodiacal light. A dark sky site is a necessity. Simply look east to find Venus and a dim cone-shaped glow can be seen rising towards the zenith.  

    

Mars

    Mars will be lost from view during October as it lies too close to the Sun to be viewed. The Red Planet will be found in the morning sky when it returns in December.

Jupiter

Saturn

     

    As October begins, Jupiter rises above the Wasatch Front around 9:30 PM, depending on how close an observer is to the mountains. A nearly Full Moon can be found just 3° away on the 1st and 29th of the month. By the end of October, Jupiter will rise two hours earlier as it nears opposition. Jupiter is a joy to view through a telescope, binoculars, or unaided eyes. Weather permitting, October will be a great month to view Jupiter as it is still usually warm enough to enjoy stargazing.     

    Saturn will be in a great position in the evening sky to view throughout October. The ringed planet will be above the horizon after sunset and should be easy to spot in the southeast sky. The Moon will be within 3° of Saturn on the 24th. A small telescope will reveal the rings of Saturn and its brightest moon, Titan. A dark sky or a larger telescope will reveal other moons of the ringed planet.   

   

       

Neptune

Uranus

    

    The two ice giants can be viewed through binoculars but will look their best through a telescope. Uranus will rise within an hour of Jupiter. A nearly Full Moon will join this planet in the sky on the 2nd and 29th of this month. The pair will be found with only 3° of sky separating them. The Pleiades will be about this same distance away from Uranus throughout the month. 

    Neptune reached opposition in September and will be above the horizon after sunset. Observers must wait a few hours after sunset to view this dim planet. The Moon will pass close by on the 25th, just 1.5° away.        

Comet, Zodiacal Light, Eclipse, Meteor Shower 

    

    Another comet, Comet Encke, can be viewed in the early morning hours before sunrise. This comet will require binoculars or a telescope to view. It may also be captured in a long-exposure image. Encke can be found just to the north (left) of Regulus in Leo the Lion during the first morning in October. Recall that Venus will also be near Regulus. Encke will brighten and sink closer to the eastern horizon as the month progresses. On the 12th, Encke can be found in Virgo with a nearly New Moon found less than a degree away. By the 20th, Encke will be too close to the horizon to be viewed in the brightening morning sky. 

      The zodiacal light can be viewed in the dark morning sky before sunrise. The best time to view this phenomenon will come close to the New Moon phase, around the 14th of October. The zodiacal light will appear as a cone of light extending from the eastern horizon to the zenith. Venus can be a guide as the light will brighten the sky along the ecliptic. 

    Utahns will be able to experience an annual solar eclipse during October! This type of eclipse occurs when the Moon is at or near apogee (furthest distance) in its orbit around the Earth. At this time, the disk of the Moon is too small to completely cover the Sun, leaving a "ring of fire" in the sky. Central Utah will be one of the best locations to view this eclipse. The Moon will begin to pass in front of the Sun at about 9:10 AM on the 14th. The maximum eclipse will occur at 10:29 AM and end at 11:57 AM. I recommend using a pair of solar glasses or the appropriate solar filters for a telescope or binoculars. A kitchen colander may also be used if this gear is not readily available. Suspend the colander about 20 inches above the ground and look at the projection of the Sun on the ground. DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN THROUGH THE COLANDER!! For the best results, project the image on a bright, clean, smooth surface, such as a piece of white paper or a white blanket/sheet. Use this link for Time and Date to find an ideal location for this eclipse. I will be traveling to Richfield, Utah, for this experience. I want to capture some images of this event and other astrophotography images, and if everything goes according to plan, they will be shared in a future post.

    October will also bring the return of the Orionid Meteor Shower. As the name suggests, this meteor shower will appear to radiate from the constellation of Orion. The Orionids will peak on the 21st during a first quarter moon. The best time to view this shower will come after midnight when Orion can be found high in the sky, and the Moon has sunk below the western horizon. During the peak date, observers can expect to see up to 30 meteors per hour if located at a dark sky site. The meteors from the Orionids are brought to us by the debris left by the famous Halley's Comet.      

 

Monthly Breakdown

  

October 01: Moon passes within 3° of Jupiter

October 02: Moon passes within 3° of Uranus

October 06: Last Quarter Moon🌗

October 10: Moon passes within 6° of Venus

October 10: Venus within 2° of Regulus   

October 14: New Moon 🌑

October 14: Annular Solar Eclipse begins at 9:10 AM

October 20: Mercury reaches superior conjunction

October 21: Orionid Meteor Shower peaks

October 21: First Quarter Moon 🌓

October 23: Venus reaches greatest western elongation

October 24: Moon passes within 3° of Saturn

October 25: Moon passes within 2° of Neptune 

October 28: Full Moon 🌕

October 29: Moon passes within 3° of Jupiter

October 29: Moon passes within 3° of Uranus 

         

Now get outside and look up!

Planet images were taken by NASA.

Andrew vs. the Cosmos was taken by Jeff Greenland.