Sights to Look Out For in the Night Skies This Month

Posted: October 6, 2023 12:00 pm

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The big event in the night skies in October will be the solar eclipse. But that will not be the only thing lighting up the skies this month. Each weekend of the month will offer a different event to head out to see when the sun goes down, making this a great time for both expert stargazers and those who may be new to the hobby. Here is a look at what you should put on your astronomical calendar.

Draconid Meteor Shower – October 8 – 9

The Draconid meteor shower will happen over the first full weekend of October. This dazzling display of meteors is expected to reach its peak after sunset on Sunday, October 8. Although this meteor shower only features about 10 meteors each hour, it is popular because it reaches the peak during the evening hours. This makes it much easier for people to work viewing this shower into their regular schedule.

The Draconids are also known for their tendency to turn into meteor storms, bringing across dozens of shooting stars each hour. The year 2011 brought an astounding 600 meteors per hour. While this is not expected this year, it is still worth your time to head out to gaze up at the night skies before heading to bed if you are lucky enough to be enjoying clear skies on this night.

Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse – October 14

The big event of the month, if not the entire year, is what is known as the Ring of Fire solar eclipse. During this much-anticipated celestial event, the moon, the sun, and Earth will align on Saturday October 14 to make a solar eclipse. Unfortunately, this eclipse will only be visible in an area stretching from southern portions of Oregon and into southern Texas. A great majority of North America will still be able to see a partial solar eclipse.

This event is what is known as an annular solar eclipse, meaning that the moon is not large enough to block the entirety of the sun. What observers will see will be a halo of sunlight surrounding the moon, translating to the nickname of the Ring of Fire eclipse.

Remember that it is not safe to look directly at the sun without the use of proper eye protection. You will need a specially designed pair of eclipse glasses or a solar filter in order to safely view the annular eclipse.

This annular eclipse will serve as a practice round for the total solar eclipse that is going to thrill millions on April 8, 2024. This impressive event will happen over a large portion of the central and eastern U.S. and into parts of Mexico and Canada.

Orionid Meteor Shower – October 20 and 21

Just two weeks after the peak of the Draconids meteor shower, the Orionids are set to light the night skies. This meteor shower is expected to deliver about 20 meteors each hour on the night of Friday, October 20 and into the early hours of Saturday.

Stargazers will find these shooting stars in the same portion of the sky of the constellation Orion. You will begin to see these streaks of light in the evening hours with more meteors shooting across the sky later in the night.

Hunter’s Moon Eclipse – October 28

The last weekend of the month all feature a full moon. This moon is most often referred to as the Hunter’s Moon, marking the time of the year when hunters would typically make preparations for the long winter months ahead. Other monikers for this October full moon include the Falling Leaves Moon, the Migration Moon, and the Freezing Moon.

This full moon will not be as bright as some typical full moons due to a partial lunar eclipse that will happen when the moon moves through a portion of Earth’s shadow. People living in Europe, Africa, and Asia will be able to see this partial lunar eclipse. However, those in North America will need to wait until September of 2024 for the next partial lunar eclipse.

You may need to dig out your heavy jackets to catch these astronomic events as the temperatures start to nosedive this time of the year, however, it will be worth bundling up when the skies come alive with the wonder of Mother Nature.

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