October offers some of the best stargazing of the fall: cool, longer nights, a meteor shower born from Halley’s Comet and the ringed planet Saturn on display. Here’s your guide for the rest of the month.
Saturn, all night long
Saturn reached opposition on October 4, when Earth passed between the sun and the planet. Around opposition, NASA says, Saturn rises around sunset and stays visible for much of the night, making this a good month to find it.
NASA also notes that recent Hubble observations revealed a ten-sided atmospheric wave around Saturn’s south pole that appears to be strengthening.
The Orionid meteor shower: October 21–22
The Orionids are made of debris left behind by Halley’s Comet, which orbits the sun every 76 years and last appeared in 1986. According to EarthSky, the shower is active from September 26 to November 22 and peaks on October 21.
- How many: about 10 to 20 meteors per hour under dark skies, according to EarthSky.
- How fast: about 41 miles per second, and about half leave glowing trails that linger for a few seconds.
- Where to look: they appear to come from near Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion, but can show up anywhere in the sky.
This year a bright, waxing moon will wash out fainter meteors in the evening. The best window is the few hours before dawn, after the moon sets. NASA’s advice: find a dark location and give your eyes time to adjust.
Moon dates to know
- October 10: new moon — the darkest skies of the month.
- October 18: first quarter.
- October 25: full moon.
- October 27–28: the moon passes near the Pleiades star cluster in the evening, looking east. NASA describes the Pleiades as a slightly fuzzy grouping of six or seven stars to the naked eye; binoculars reveal more.
Tips for better viewing
Get away from city lights if you can, dress warmly and bring a reclining chair. You don’t need a telescope for meteors — your eyes work best because they take in the widest view of the sky. Put your phone away, too, since its screen will undo your night vision.
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