Monthly Night Sky Report: October 2025

               Introduction

   September was a decent month for stargazing. There were a few cloudy and rainy days, but overall, the skies were clear and the temperatures were pleasant. I had the opportunity to visit Capitol Reef National Park over the last weekend of September. This park has earned Dark Sky Place Certification from the International Dark-Sky Association and is an excellent destination for stargazing. Unfortunately, it rained or was otherwise cloudy every day we were there except for one evening. The stars were numberless, and the Milky Way was bright and easy to see. I imaged the Dumbbell Nebula, Pacman Nebula, the Hercules Cluster, and the Andromeda Galaxy with my smart telescope. I also captured a few astrophotos with my smartphone, all of which I will share at a future date. We also made a quick visit to Bryce Canyon National Park, which has also earned its Dark Sky Place Certification. It was raining all day at Bryce Canyon, and we didn't spend the night, so I cannot give my opinion on the dark sky quality, although it is rated as a Class 1 dark sky on the Bortle Scale, like Capitol Reef. 

    The temperatures during October will continue to drop, and the nighttime hours will increase. The Orionid Meteor Shower will peak this month. Jupiter will continue to rise earlier, and Saturn will remain an excellent target for telescope views. Mercury and Mars will appear close together this month as they plunge below the horizon shortly after sunset.

                      

Mercury

    Mercury will be close to the western horizon this month. Due to its low altitude, the innermost planet will be a challenge to spot. A high elevation, such as the top of a mountain, and a clear western view will be required. Mars will be nearby throughout October, with a conjunction occurring on the 19th. Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation on the 29th, being approximately 25° from the Sun, but still hugging the horizon. A thin Crescent Moon joins Mercury and Mars on the 23rd. 

  

Venus

   Due to its brilliance, Venus will be easy to see in the morning hours during October. It begins the month mingling with the stars of Leo but will quickly pass into Virgo. This transition will occur on the 9th. A thin Crescent Moon will join this bright planet on the 19th.  

    

Mars

    

    Mars will be hard to spot during October as it lies close to the horizon. Like Mercury, a high elevation and a clear westerly view will help spot this planet. Mars and Mercury will reach conjunction on the 19th with only 2° of separation. A thin Crescent Moon can be found close by on the 23rd. Mars is nearing its solar conjunction and will likely be lost from view for Utahns for the next few months. Observers should look for the Red Planet while it’s still visible!

       

Jupiter

Saturn

    Like Venus, Jupiter will be easy to see as soon as it clears any obstructions along the eastern horizon. At the beginning of October, this gas giant will rise close to 1:00 AM. By the end of the month, this world will be above the horizon before midnight. Like Saturn, Jupiter is a thrill to view through a telescope, revealing the Galilean Moons and the dark cloud bands that span the planet. Several Galilean moon transits will be visible during October. I encourage interested observers to use the Moons of Jupiter and Saturn app for Android or Gas Giants for iOS devices to determine when these transits occur at their location. Both of these apps are free. If an observer is interested in a paid and more comprehensive app, I recommend Stellarium Plus for both Android and iOS, as well as Sky Safari Pro for iOS. The Earth's own Moon will pass close by Jupiter on the 16th this month.  

    Saturn reached opposition on September 21st and will remain an excellent target for telescope observers during October. Although the rings are not at their best for Earthly views, they will still be visible and will likely excite any observer. Several Saturnian moon transits are visible this month. The apps mentioned above will also give observers additional resources for Saturn.  The Earth’s own Moon will pass close by on the 6th.

       

Neptune

Uranus

    

   Uranus will continue to be found in Taurus the Bull throughout October. This world will require binoculars or a telescope to view. It can be found just below the Pleiades, which can be used as a guide for locating this dim planet. The Hyades can be found below Uranus. The Moon passes close by on the 10th.     

  Neptune will continue to follow Saturn through the sky during October. The pair is only 3° apart, but this distance will increase to 4°, from our Earthly view, by the end of the month. Use Saturn as a guide to find this distant planet. A pair of binoculars or a telescope will be needed to see this dim world. The Full Moon will pass close to Neptune on the 6th.

Orionid Meteor Shower

    October brings the return of the Orionid Meteor Shower. This shower will peak on the 21st, under a Moon-free sky! Although this isn’t the best meteor shower of the year, the Moon-free sky will allow observers to see as many meteors as possible while in an area free of light pollution. Observers can expect to see approximately 20 meteors per hour on the peak date. These meteors will appear to radiate from Orion, as the name suggests. A zero-gravity chair or something similar will allow an individual to see more of these fast, bright meteors as they streak across the sky. The Orionids are active from October 2nd through November 7th.

Monthly Breakdown

October 05: Moon passes within 4° of Saturn
October 06: Moon passes within 3° of Neptune
October 06: Full Moon 🌕
October 10: Moon passes within 5° of Uranus
October 13: Moon passes within 4° of Jupiter 
October 13: Last Quarter Moon🌗 
October 19: Moon passes within 4° of Venus
October 21: Mercury and Mars conjunction
October 21: Orionid Meteor Shower peaks 
October 21: New Moon 🌑
October 23: Moon passes within 5° of Mars 
October 23: Moon passes within 2° of Mercury
October 29: Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation

October 29: First Quarter Moon 🌓 

 

         

Now get outside and look up!

Planet images were taken by NASA.

Andrew vs. the Cosmos image was taken by Jeff Greenland.

The Milky Way and Trees image was taken by Andrew Greenland.

Orion, Taurus, and Pleiades image was taken by Andrew Greenland.

                

                

Midmonth Check-In: September 2025 and the Bortle Scale

                   

  Introduction and Monthly Reminders   

     September has started off decently for stargazers. The evening temperatures have been slightly cooler, making it more enjoyable to be outdoors. I have enjoyed seeking out Jupiter and Venus in the morning just before sunrise. I've also been able to spot the bright stars of Orion at the same time, although these are harder to pick out against the brightening sky. I have also enjoyed spotting Saturn as it rises above the mountains after sunset. While I haven't taken out my large telescope yet this month, I have taken out my smart telescope to capture a few images of the Sun. I have also purchased a new telescope, a refractor on an equatorial mount as opposed to my dobsonian, which is a reflector, that I have been getting acquainted with and learning to use. I will write a "First Light" post once I've actually used it!

    The second half of September should be the most exciting half of the month. Saturn and Neptune will reach opposition on the 21st and 23rd, respectively. The New Moon phase will occur on the 21st, making it the best time of the month to view faint DSOs. During the New Moon, the best time to see the Zodiacal Light is shortly before sunrise. I am most looking forward to a camping trip at the end of the month to Capitol Reef. This site will have pristine dark skies that I hope to take advantage of, weather permitting. I will be taking my camera gear and smart telescope. I would like to take my new telescope, but I likely will not have room for it.  

The Bortle Scale 

      I often discuss the importance of dark skies and minimizing light pollution for the best views of the night sky. This coincides with the darkness of the night sky and the Bortle Scale for a particular location. I thought now would be a great time to discuss the Bortle Scale. The Bortle Scale is a way to measure the brightness, or quality, of the night sky. There are nine different levels, or classes, of the Bortle Scale, with nine being the most light-polluted sky and one having the least amount of light pollution. A light pollution map will use the Bortle Scale to show the user the quality of the night sky for a particular location. When looking for a dark sky site, I use this Light Pollution Map. There are mobile apps available, but I prefer being able to look at the map on a larger screen so I can see more area at once. 

    When viewing this map, it shows regions in white, pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, gray, and black. Class 9 skies (white) are the brightest and have the most light pollution. These regions are found in the center of large cities, and only the brightest night sky objects can be seen, like the Moon, Venus, and maybe Jupiter. Most, if not all, other stars are lost in the skyglow. A Class 8 sky (pink) from a smaller city fares a bit better. The most well-known constellations can be seen, such as the Big Dipper and Orion. Only the brightest Messier objects can be seen with a modestly sized telescope.

    Moving outside of the city center, observers will find themselves in a Class 7 region (red) where the sky will have a grayish glow. A few more stars will be visible, and the Pleiades will become visible to the unaided eye. More Messier objects can be seen through a telescope, but they will not show much detail. Clouds in the sky are brightly lit and easy to see as they reflect the city lights. A Class 6 sky (orange) is a bright suburban sky, improving as the Milky Way Band becomes visible when looking towards the zenith. Clouds still reflect much of the city lights, making them appear whitish gray and easy to see. 

     As an observer transitions to the outer suburban sky, they will find themselves in a Class 5 (yellow) area. Here, the Zodiacal Light can be seen only on clear, stable nights. The Milky Way can be seen, but it is very faint and may not be detectable near the horizon. The clouds also remain much brighter than the sky itself. Approximately 20 miles from the city center of Salt Lake City, an observer will reach Class 4 skies (green) where pillars of light pollution can still be seen when looking towards the city. Clouds towards the city will still be brightly illuminated. The Zodiacal Light is visible near the opposite horizon of the city, and the Milky Way Band begins to take shape. This is the Bortle Class when observers get excited about being able to see the Milky Way. 

    Traveling about 70 miles west of Salt Lake City, an observer will reach a Class 3 sky (blue), which is where I like to travel with my telescope and camera gear. This is a rural area with little light pollution along the horizon. The Milky Way is easily visible and begins to show some structure. The Zodiacal Light can be seen with the unaided eye, but a long exposure image will really bring out the detail. Several Messier objects can be seen with the unaided eye, and clouds are slightly illuminated by city lights. 

    When visiting a dark sky certified city, an observer can expect to find a Class 3 or Class 2 (gray) sky. Here, the Milky Way is bright and casts shadows on the ground. Clouds are only detectable by looking for areas of the sky where stars are blocked from view. The constellations are more challenging to find due to the number of stars in the sky. The Zodiacal Light also casts weak shadows. Several more Messier objects become visible with the unaided eye. The "Holy Grail" of the Bortle Scale is Class 1 skies (black). These skies are similar to Class 2, with the notable differences that more stars are visible, more Messier objects can be seen with the unaided eye, the shadows produced by the Milky Way are more pronounced, and the Zodiacal Band, Zodiacal Light, and Gegenschein Band are visible. Viewing Jupiter or Venus appears very bright and will ruin dark-adapted eyes. Several background meteors can be seen per hour, and satellites orbiting above are easy to see, even the faint ones. 

    A darker sky allows for more detail when viewing objects through a telescope or a pair of binoculars, and it also provides observers with more opportunities to view objects. I strongly encourage my readers to grab a chair or blanket and travel to a Class 1 region and enjoy what the night sky has to offer, no telescope required!              

    

Now get outside and look up!