What to look for in the October night sky

Step outside, allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness and look up at the night sky. There is always something happening this month.

Draconid meteor shower: A minor meteor shower that usually produces around 10 meteors an hour; it is created by tiny dust particles left behind by Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which was discovered in 1900. Unlike most meteor showers, the Draconids are best viewed in the early evening. The shower is active from October 6 to 10 and will peak on the nights of October 8 and 9, with the best view an hour or two after sunset. The waning crescent moon should leave the skies dark enough for a good view. For the best chance of spotting meteors, head to a dark place away from city lights in the early evening. The meteors appear to come from the constellation Draco, but can streak across any part of the sky.

New Moon: The Moon will be on the same side of Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky on October 10. With no moonlight to brighten the sky, this will be a great time to spot faint objects such as distant galaxies and star clusters.

Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation: On October 12, Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation, appearing 19.6° away from the Sun. This makes it one of the better opportunities to spot the planet in the evening sky. Look low towards the western horizon shortly after sunset.

Orionid Meteor Shower: The Orionids are an annual meteor shower that can produce up to 20 meteors an hour at their peak. They are caused by tiny particles left behind by Halley’s Comet, which has been observed for thousands of years. The shower is active from October 2 to November 7 and reaches its peak on the night of October 21 and the early morning of October 22. The waxing gibbous Moon may hide some of the fainter meteors in the evening, but it will set after midnight, giving you darker skies and a better chance of seeing meteors. For the best view, head to a dark spot away from city lights after midnight. The meteors appear to come from the constellation Orion, but can streak across any part of the sky.

Full Moon: On October 26, the Moon will be fully illuminated as it lies on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. Native American called this Hunter’s Moon as the falling leaves of autumn made it easier to spot animals to hunt. This moon was also known as Travel Moon and the Blood Moon.