Summer is over and it is time to embrace the weather and festivities of fall. While you’re apple picking, carving pumpkins, or making a Halloween costume, October is a great month for some autumn celestial sights.
At the beginning of the month, there will be great views of the moon’s curves, while ice giants Neptune and Uranus will crash the night sky in a couple of weeks, according to NASA. Pro tip: You may want to download a skywatching app, such as SkyView Lite or Sky Map, and use an auto-guided telescope or binoculars to enjoy your lunar and planet-observing activities.
International Observe the Moon Night
Save the date: International Observe the Moon Night will offer some great views of the lunar surface. (Photo Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech)
October 5 is International Observe the Moon Night, an annual celebration of lunar observation and exploration that takes place all over the world.
This one-day event corresponds with the first quarter moon. You’ll be able to catch views of the moon along the lunar terminator, also known as the line that separates the dayside from the nightside. All you need is a small pair of binoculars and you can see the moon’s cool surface features, like craters and mountains.
Check out NASA’s website for lunar skywatching events in your area.
Ice Giant Duo
Catch views of Neptune and Uranus with an auto-guided telescope or skywatching app at the end of October. (Photo Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech)
Neptune and Uranus, the most distant of the major planets of our solar system, will make appearances in the night sky this month.
NASA says you can have your own personal “Voyager mission” in the evenings: You’ll be able to see Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn up above. Look for Jupiter and Saturn in the west after the sun sets, and then come back in a few hours to spot Neptune and Uranus.
The ice giants are faint, so the best way to see them is with an auto-guided telescope. If you don’t have access to one, you can find a local event with the Night Sky Network. Or, use a skywatching app to help you find Neptune and Uranus via constellations. Uranus may appear to be a tiny disk, while Neptune will resemble a star.
Catch the ice giants in the first and last week of October, when the moon will not be as illuminated.
More on Geek.com:
- Watch: 3 Astronauts Are Returning From Space on October 3
- Listen: NASA’s InSight ‘Hears’ More Marsquakes
- Astronomers Discover Giant Planet That Shouldn’t Exist
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