October skywatching highlights

• October 4: Saturn reaches opposition, making the ringed planet visible for most of the night.
• October 6: A thin crescent Moon appears near bright Jupiter before sunrise.
• October 21–22: The Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak. Because moonlight may obscure fainter meteors, watch after moonset and before dawn.
• October 27–28: The Moon passes close to the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters.

Saturn leads October’s celestial lineup, followed later in the month by a meteor shower associated with Halley’s Comet and a close encounter between the Moon and one of the best-known star clusters in the night sky. Together, these events make October an especially active month for skywatchers looking up after sunset and before dawn.

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Saturn reaches opposition on October 4

On October 4, Saturn will reach opposition, providing one of the best opportunities of the year to view the ringed planet.

Opposition occurs when Earth moves between the Sun and Saturn. From our perspective, Saturn appears on the opposite side of the sky from the Sun. As a result, the planet rises around sunset and remains visible for most of the night.

Saturn has also attracted scientific attention because of unusual activity in its atmosphere. Astronomers have long studied the hexagonal jet stream that stretches nearly 20,000 miles across the planet’s north pole.

More recently, observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope revealed 10 atmospheric waves surrounding Saturn’s south pole. The feature in the planet’s Southern Hemisphere appears to be growing stronger, giving researchers a unique opportunity to observe how Saturn’s atmosphere develops.

Orionid meteor shower peaks October 21–22

The Orionid meteor shower will reach its peak from the night of October 21 into the morning of October 22.

Orionid meteors originate from small pieces of material left behind by Halley’s Comet. Although the shower appears to come from the direction of the constellation Orion, individual meteors can flash across any part of the sky.

Viewing conditions may not be ideal this year. A large, bright waxing Moon is expected to overwhelm some of the fainter meteors.

The best chance to see the Orionids may come in the hours after moonset and before dawn. For better viewing, find a dark location away from bright lights, give your eyes time to adjust and scan as much of the sky as possible.

Moon passes close to the Pleiades on October 27–28

Another impressive sight arrives on the night of October 27–28, when the Moon passes close to the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters.

The Pleiades have inspired stories in many ancient cultures. Part of the cluster’s widespread importance may stem from the fact that it can be observed from nearly every corner of the world.

To find this celestial pairing, look toward the east, where the Moon and Pleiades will rise high in the evening sky. To the naked eye, the cluster appears as a slightly hazy collection of six or seven stars.

No special equipment is needed to see the Pleiades, although binoculars or a telescope will reveal more detail within the cluster.