October comes with a great opportunity for stargazers as the whole month is full of exciting astronomical events. It is also the saddest part of the year because at the end of the month Milky Way galaxy won’t be visible at some locations. You have to wait for August 2021 for that. There are other constellations and celestial bodies which will appear as the year progresses.
On 2nd October we witnessed a full Harvest moon. It looked bigger, brighter, and orange near the horizon. Like the other full moons, the name of this full moon is not associated with a specific month, it is associated with the timing of Autumn Equinox.
On 6th October, Mars was at closest approach to the Earth. It looked brighter and bigger. It is the time when Mars orbit approach is closest to the Earth. This time it was about 62.07 million kilometres.
On 8th October, we are going to witness Draconid meteor shower peak. It occurs every year from 6th to 10th October. Mostly visible in the evening because the showers originate from Draco Constellation, and it will peak in the evening to mid night.
On 12th October, waning moon will appear closer to the Beehive cluster or Messier 44 or M 44. Beehive cluster is an open cluster in the Cancer constellation. It can be seen through our naked eyes and it is one of the nearest star cluster to Earth. It will be visible between 02:00 am to 04:00 am IST.
On 13th October, Mars will be at best opposition. At opposition Mars will rise in the east, when at the same time Sun will set in the west. The next Mars at opposition will occur approximately in 25 months and 15 days. It will shine bright until the year 2035.
On 14th October, crescent Moon and crescent Venus will show up 1 hour before sun rise. Through a binocular or telescope we can see the crescent shape of Venus.
On 18th October, through a backyard telescope, we can see the eclipse on Jupiter. The best thing about this eclipse is that it will be on the side of the Red eye of Jupiter. The eclipse will start around 07:25 pm, and it will end around 10:40 pm IST.
On 21st October, Orionid meteor shower will be at its peak. It will originate from the Orion constellation before sunrise.
On 29th October, a bright moon will meet the red planet in the evening.
On 31st October, we will witness a second full moon of the month. It is a very rare event and it is known as full hunter’s moon. Because it is the second full moon of the month, it is also known as blue moon. Two full moons in a month will next occur in August 2023.