This is not intended to be comprehensive - it is a quick guide to help you find a few things in the night sky without any equipment - just your eyes. All of these are very bright and easy to find when walking around the village.
With the nights drawing in, the sky is becoming easier to enjoy as darkness falls earlier.
The Planets This Month
- Mercury – not visible this month.
- Venus – rises around 5 am at the start of October, but is too low to spot by mid-month.
- Mars – not visible.
- Jupiter – rises at 1:30 am at the beginning of the month (visible all night), shifting to about 10 pm by the end of the month.
- Saturn – rises at sunset at the start of October and sets around 7 pm in the west. By month’s end it will be rising around 5 pm.
The Moon Full Moon – October 7th. It rises at sunset (about 7 pm in the east). Other phases are shown in the charts below.
International Space Station (ISS) Brightest pass – October 5th, starting at 6:50 pm.
Orionids Meteor Shower Visible throughout October. Peak: during the day on October 21st, so the best viewing nights are October 20th and 21st. This annual shower is caused by debris left behind by Halley’s Comet.
Charts Available
- Oct 1 – Saturn
- Oct 1 – Venus
- Oct 5 – ISS pass
- Oct 7 – Moon and Saturn
- Oct 14 – Jupiter, Moon, Gemini, and Orion • Oct 14 – Moon and Jupiter
- Oct 21 – Orionids Meteor Shower
- Moon phases throughout the month
Tips for Stargazing • Find a dark spot away from streetlights—your eyes will thank you. • Give your eyes 15–20 minutes to adjust to the darkness for the best view. • Look east in the evening and west in the early morning for planets and bright stars. • Use a simple star map or a free phone app to help you learn constellations. • Dress warmly—nights get chilly quickly in October. • Bring a blanket or reclining chair so you can look up comfortably. • Binoculars are handy but not necessary for enjoying the night sky.