The Night Sky in October, by Liam Gavin
The clocks go back on Sunday 27th October, so evenings will be darker earlier, which of course means more time to look up at the night sky. This month, Jupiter and the Moon put on a spectacular show at Halloween, and the Moon also has some nice line-ups with the ringed planet Saturn, as well as the easily found star groups, the Plaides and the Hyades.
Moon, Titan (binoculars needed), about 4 ring widths away from the planet itself.
Oct 16th Moon and Pleiades The 91% sunlit Moon makes a spectacular sight, high in the east, between the two star groups called the Pleiades and the Hyades. If you fancy trying your hand at astrophotography, this would make a great first picture. Oct 31st Jupiter in Daylight Halloween starts with a bang, and a rare opportunity to see a planet in daylight. Jupiter skims so close to the Moon that it should be easy enough to find even in broad daylight. By 2 pm, look for the crescent Moon, about 45° to the left of the Sun, and when you find it, binoculars should reveal Jupiter, just below the Moon. When using binoculars in daylight, it is best to stand in the shade of a building, so that you can’t accidentally point the binoculars at the Sun, which is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, and which could cause PERMANENT BLINDNESS. Remember too, if you are watching before or after 2 pm, that the Moon moves in the sky at the rate of about one Moon diameter to the left, every hour. Oct 31st Moon and Jupiter The Sun sets around 5 pm, and Jupiter will be just 2 Moon diameters away to the right. The Moon is only 16% lit, so if it is a nice night, you should be able to “see” the unlit part, shining dimly in Earthshine, which is the reflection of the Earth onto the Moon itself. If you don’t have binoculars or a telescope, try to borrow some for the night. You will be rewarded with the sight of the 4 main moons of Jupiter, which will be seen in different positions as they conduct their eternal dance around their massive host. For a fuller guide to the night sky every month, we recommend that you visit www.astronomy.ie which is the magazine of the World’s largest Astronomy Club.
Here’s our guide to the five best things to watch for right through the month.
Oct 3rd Moon and Jupiter Look to the south / southwest shortly after sunset, which is at 7.05 pm. The 31% sunlit Moon is joined by the largest and brightest planet, the massive Jupiter, which will be shining brightly just 3 Moon widths away. Jupiter is 830 million Km from Earth, about 2,000 times further away than the Moon.
Oct 5th Moon and Saturn
Find the first quarter Moon this evening, and you will see that Jupiter has been replaced by the ringed planet, Saturn. At 7 pm Saturn is only 1.6° above the Moon (3 Moon widths), but by 10 pm it will be even closer. You can appreciate just how big Saturn is, when you consider that it is 1,490 million Km away, which is 3,700 times further than the Moon. A small telescope, or a good pair of binoculars will reveal Saturn’s rings,. The following night you might even see Saturn’s largest
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