Welcome to October, our first full month of Autumn. We’re still in daylight saving time, but the seasonal change is apparent in the change of day length. At the start of October, sunrise is just after 7 a.m., and sunset is at about 6:45 p.m. By Halloween, sunrise will back off to about 7:45 a.m, and sunset will be a few minutes before 6 p.m. Shorter days in October, but earlier times for viewing the night skies.
Jupiter and Saturn remain prominent in our southern evening sky in October. Jupiter will be hard to mistake, the brightest “star” in the southern sky, situated in the faint constellation Pisces, one of the 12 Zodiac constellations. Jupiter is beginning to pull away from Earth, but is still close. And the solar system’s giant will be in the best position for evening viewing in October. It will be pretty much due south during the month, and at its highest point in the sky in October evenings. Saturn is to the right of Jupiter, and a bit lower in the sky. Saturn made its closest approach to us this year on Sept. 26. While not as bright as Jupiter, Saturn will outshine nearby stars and should be easy to pick out. Use the picture with this article to locate the two bright planets.
Venus and Mercury are in October’s morning sky. Venus is so close to the Sun in our sky that it is very difficult to see. Look for before sunrise, early in the month. Mercury is visible before sunrise in the first half of October, and will be highest in the sky on about Oct. 7.
A great way to view Jupiter and Saturn is via a visit to the Goldendale Observatory. In October, the observatory shifts to winter hours, and is open Friday through Sunday, 2-4 p.m. (solar program) and 7-10 p.m. Drop-in visits by groups of five or smaller are welcome, but larger groups should provide advanced notice via booking on the park’s website, www.goldendaleobservatory.com/autumnwinter.html.
A Washington State Park Discovery pass is required for parking. Check out the “visit” link on the website for more information.
The red planet Mars makes its return to the evening sky in October. At the start of the month, Mars will appear above the northeastern horizon at about 10 p.m. By the end of the month, it will be well above the horizon, located in the constellation Taurus, the bull. Mars will make its closest approach to us in early December. The red planet will be something to look forward to when skies clear in cold winter months!
At the start of October, we’ll have a nice, first-quarter Moon in the evening sky. The Moon will be low in the sky, with the constellation Sagittarius in the background. Full Moon will occur on Oct. 9, with new Moon following on the 25th. The Moon will be near Jupiter on the 7th and 8th. The Moon will be below and to the left of Saturn on Oct. 5, and will be below and to the right of Saturn at the end of the month on Halloween. The Moon will also visit the neighborhood of Mars on Oct. 14; the waning gibbous Moon will be just to the left of the red planet, low in the east at 10 p.m.
The constellations we see in the sky continue to change with the seasons. In October, Perseus, Auriga, and Taurus make their appearance on the eastern horizon, along with the star cluster Pleiades.
By the end of the month, Orion and Gemini will be above the eastern horizon by 11 p.m. Cygnus the swan is in the southwest, and Sagittarius is sinking below the horizon.
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