Originally published by Sea and Sky.
October 4: Saturn at Opposition – The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn’s rings and a few of its brightest moons.
October 7: Draconids Meteor Shower – The Draconids is a minor meteor shower producing only about 10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was first discovered in 1900. The Draconids is an unusual shower in that the best viewing is in the early evening instead of early morning like most other showers. The shower runs annually from October 6-10 and peaks this year on the the night of the 7th. The waning crescent moon will not be much of a problem this year. Skies should be dark enough for a good show. Best viewing will be in the early evening from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
October 10: New Moon – The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 15:50 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
October 12: Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation – The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 19.6 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.
October 21, 22: Orionids Meteor Shower –The Orionids is an average shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Halley, which has been known and observed since ancient times. The shower runs annually from October 2 to November 7. It peaks this year on the night of October 21 and the morning of October 22. The waxing gibbous moon will block some of the fainter meteors in the evening. But it will set after midnight leaving dark skies for what could be an excellent early morning show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Orion, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
October 26: Full Moon – The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 04:13 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Hunters Moon because at this time of year the leaves are falling and the game is fat and ready to hunt. This moon has also been known as the Travel Moon and the Blood Moon.
Astronomy Essentials Full Moon Names by the Month and by the Season
What are the full moon names? Cultures across the world have given special names to full moons, and this practice is very much alive in North America. Some almanacs assign full moon names by the month. On the other hand, other almanacs like to reference full moons relative to seasonal markers, as defined by equinoxes and solstices. Is one way better than the other? No. Both have their roots in folklore. Also, lists of full moon names vary widely coming from different regions and cultures....
Deep Partial Lunar Eclipse Overnight Tonight!
People in Africa, Europe, most of the Americas, and the eastern Pacific Ocean will see a deep lunar eclipse overnight on August 27-28, 2026. The eclipse won’t be total. But it’ll be nearly total, with 96% of the moon within the Earth’s dark umbral shadow at mid-eclipse. Lunar eclipses are a whole-Earth event. But you must be in nighttime when the eclipse happens, in order to see it. The half of Earth facing the full moon – that is, the whole half of Earth that’s in nighttime – will see the...
Astronomy Essentials Deep Partial Lunar Eclipse on August 27-28, 2026
People in Africa, Europe, Scandinavia, Iceland, parts of Greenland, Antarctica, most of the Americas and eastern Pacific Ocean will see a deep lunar eclipse overnight on August 27-28, 2026. The eclipse won’t be total. But it’ll be nearly total, with 96% of the moon within the Earth’s dark umbral shadow at mid-eclipse. Lunar eclipses are a whole-Earth event. But you must be in nighttime when the eclipse happens, in order to see it. The half of Earth facing the full moon – that is, the whole...
What is the Milky Way? It’s our home galaxy
Do you think of the Milky Way as a starry band across a dark night sky? Or do you think of it as a great spiral galaxy in space? Both are correct. Both refer to our home galaxy, our local island in the vast ocean of the universe, composed of hundreds of billions of stars, one of which is our Sun. Long ago, it was possible for everybody in the world to see a dark, star-strewn sky when they looked heavenward at night. In those ancient times, humans looked to the starry sky and saw a ghostly band...
Visible Planets and Night Sky Guide for July
June 6, Earth will reach its farthest point from the sun in its orbit. But it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere! How can that be? Plus, a big asteroid passed close to Earth last last weekend. Should we worry? July 6: Earth at aphelion July evening planets: Northern Hemisphere view July morning planets: Northern Hemisphere view July 7: Watch for the 3rd quarter moon July 7 and 8 mornings: Moon near Saturn July 10 and 11 mornings: Moon near Aldebaran, Mars and the Pleiades...
Rocket Launches can sometimes be seen in Garrett County. Especially those from Wallops Island.
