What’s Up Above? October Stargazing
Looking through my window across the Blue River valley, there is a calico cat splayed out, flat on its stomach, lounging on the ridge line of Angler Mountain. Asleep, the feline’s brilliant golds, chocolate browns, with hints of rust, black and tan, all colorful patches stretch and spread far and wide, resting on top of forests of evergreen trees. The winds rise, and our cat’s fur shimmers in the mid-day sunlight.
This mouser’s colors change by the day; and sometimes by the hour. Disappointingly soon, my tabby in its multicolored autumnal fur will awake and saunter off leaving stark skeletons of gray Aspens behind. That’s autumn in Colorado’s high country. If we’re lucky, the season of autumn lasts, oh, say about 2 days. Snow lurks around the corner.
For stargazers, October continues the transition between the summer night sky and the winter night sky. Yet what makes this first full month of autumn extra special is because meteor showers take center stage. There are a total of seven major and minor meteor showers at peak activity this month. That’s enough flares, streamers, bolides, fireballs, streakers, and smokers to light up every night the entire month. That’s beginning to end, start to finish, and every evening in-between.
It’s time to get your meteor shower bingo card out and ready to play!
Before that, October begins with your best chance to have a clear view of that swift winged messenger of our night sky, the innermost planet, Mercury. This is a must see.
Mercury: High In Sky and Far From the Sun, October 11th and 12th
Zipping here and there, hither and yon, Mercury is hard to pin down. Heck, it only takes 88-days for our little friend to complete one revolution around our home star, the Sun. And it rarely sways too far from home, so we usually get fleeting moments to see it without being “blinded by the Sun.” At that moment, Mercury achieves two milestones. It is high in the sky and far from the Sun. Let me break it down.
October 11 — Mercury at its highest altitude in the sky at sunset. Look low in the southwestern sky after sunset for Mercury, to reach its highest point above the evening horizon which is 8 degrees. That’s about one closed fist’s width above the horizon.
October 12 — Mercury at greatest eastern elongation. This means when we look at Mercury it is at a point when it is at its greatest separation from the Sun on its eastern (left side) of 25° during its egg-shaped orbit around it. Get to an angular separation of 28° and you’re at the extreme end of separation.
So, what does this mean to you? Simply put: you have to check out Mercury. This is your best chance to view our most elusive inferior planet. The planet which the ancient Greeks and Romans saw as their intermediary between the god, demigods, and mortals.
Despite its high altitude in the sky and distance from the Sun, Mercury is surprisingly difficult to find. Make sure you have a clear view of the western horizon, and begin your search after the sun has set and is below the horizon near 8:30pm MT. With your naked eye look for a tiny, pale golden point of light. Plus, use the white light of the planet Venus and the crescent Moon as your markers to Mercury, which will be about 3-fingers width above and to the south (left) of the two.
If you have a telescope, you’ll see that diminutive Mercury may appear as a tiny crescent, or a half-moon, or for the sharpest of eyes, a gibbous disk. Generally, when Mercury is at greatest elongation (eastern or western) it appears half-lit. Looking through binoculars or a telescope at Mercury, it takes on a gray to brownish-gray color.
Now, the major October meteor showers:
Draconid Meteor Shower, Peaking October 9th
Unlike the Orionids, you don’t have to get up after midnight and stay up all night to catch this show. Honestly, that’s the challenge of seeing most meteor showers at their optimal. It requires getting outside at ungodly hours of the night or in the extremely early morning hours of the new day. Not true for the Draconids, which shower the night sky October 6 - 10.
The Draconids are that rare meteor shower that is best observed between sunset and midnight. It’s because the constellation Draco, the dragon, from where the meteors appear to originate, is highest in the evening sky. The best time is soon after dusk. Get outside away from artificial light if you can, give yourself 20-minutes to get your night vision. Look to the northwest horizon, about 30 to 40 degrees above the horizon. (That’s three to four widths of your fist on top of one another, thumb up, starting with your fist’s pinkie finger on the horizon.) The Draconids are not predicted to be exceptional this year, around 5 per hour under ideal conditions. However, the angle at which the debris hits our atmosphere is conducive for longer streamer type shooting stars. Plus, we’re one day away from a New Moon, presenting next to no brightness in the night allowing you to see faint meteors. Make a plan to get outside after sunset when the Draconids peak on their 8th and catch the dragon’s flames flashing across the night sky all night long.
Orionids Meteor Shower, Peak October 21st – 22nd
The Orionid meteor shower is an annual show for us in the northern hemisphere. The show runs from October 2nd through November 7th. This year the shower will peak overnight October 21 – 22. This year you can anticipate seeing between 15 – 20 meteors per hour with the most productive period between midnight and dawn. That’s not a bad rate. Realistically, plan on 13 meteors per hour rate.
Interestingly, the Orionids meteor shower is a product of debris, which shed during the historic passes by Earth of the famous Halley’s Comet. Want to see the Orionids? Find a nice dark-sky location and then around 10:25pm MT the constellation Orion will rise over the eastern horizon. Settle in, recline your chair backwards, and look straight up to the zenith of your night sky; that point directly overhead. There’s no rush to get outside if you just want to view the meteor shower since they really don’t fully start to streak until after midnight. A warm drink of whatever you fancy will be a good companion at that wee hour. Try to keep a wide angle view of the sky above you as meteors can come from any direction.
Now, the minor October meteor showers:
Camelopardalid Meteor Shower, Peaking October 6th
One big thing that makes the Camelopardalid meteor shower special every year is they are up all night. That’s right, the radiant point for the shower never sets over the horizon since it is a circumpolar meteor shower. Meaning, it circles the North Pole Star all night, every night the shower is active, which is unfortunately brief. The Camelopardalid is active from October 5th through October 6th. The meteor shower peaks on the 5th and its radiant point is in the constellation Draco, the dragon. This show is expected to display the most meteors shortly before dawn on the 6th due to the Earth's position as it passes through the debris field.
Fortunately, (and this is the theme for most of October’s meteor showers) the Moon is 4-days from the New Moon phase so anticipate moonlight to interfere somewhat obscuring the faint, brief meteors. Despite this, the shower occurs on the opposite side of the sky from the Moon, so at least you won’t be looking directly towards it. Under ideal dark sky conditions, you can anticipate seeing about 2 -4 meteors per hour.
Southern Taurid Meteor Shower, Peaking October 10th
The Southern Taurid meteor shower is active from September 10th to November 20th, and expected to peak around October 10th. On that date, the radiant point (that area in the sky where many of the meteors originate) lies inside the constellation Cetus, the sea monster. Cetus rises above the eastern horizon after 8:30pm MT and remains active throughout the night. Historically, the Southern Taurid averages about 5 meteors per hour. Fortune smiles again, as this night is the New Moon, providing the darkest of skies. When you add this to the slower speed of the meteors in this shower, those that hit the upper reaches of our atmosphere are more often fireballs, and with no moonlight easier to notice and are quite stunning.
Delta Aurigid Meteor Shower, Peaking October 11th
The δ-Aurigid meteor shower will be active from October 10th through October 18th with peak rate anticipated to be on the 11th of this month. On that date, under dark conditions, 2 meteors per hour are anticipated. The shower’s radiant point is inside the constellation Auriga, the Charioteer. The shower’s radiant point will rise above the north-northeastern horizon at 9:30pm local time remaining above the horizon circling the Northern Pole Star, Polaris till it is washed out by the breaking dawn of October 12th around 6:30am MT. The time when the Earth has rotated into optimal orientation to the debris field is 5am MT. As this shower is a circumpolar meteor shower, it’s up all night. Even better, the 11th is one night after the New Moon so the interference the moonlight brings is close to non-existent. For all you Early Risers, the Delta Aurigid meteor shower is custom made for you.
Epsilon-Geminid Meteor Shower, Peaking October 18th
The ε-Geminids are active from October 14th through October 27th with the peak rate of meteors expected to be on the 18th. This year, the expected number of meteors per hour is average. Typically this shower displays 3 meteors per hour under the most ideal of conditions and that is what is anticipated. The best time to look is right before 6am MT. The shower rises inside the constellation Gemini, the twins, after 10pm local time over the northeast horizon. The radiant point culminates just before dawn on the 19th and is likely (6am) to produce its best displays.
For the first time during this month-long parade of meteor showers, our solar system’s street light, the Moon, comes into play. Its luminance will make seeing even the brightest meteors difficult.
Leonis Minorid Meteor Shower, Peaking October 24th
The Leonis Minorid meteor shower will be active from October 19th through October 27th. The shower peaks on October 24th. This shower, like most minor meteor showers, offers fewer meteors to view. Under ideal dark conditions, which sad to say is not the case this year, the Leonis produces an average of 2 per hour. The parent body (comet) responsible for creating the Leonis Minorid shower has been identified as comet C/1739 K1.
Similar to the Epsilon-Geminid meteor shower, this shower’s fullness is stepped on by a Moon that is one day away from being a Full Moon. Ouch! So, I make no promises, but still encourage you to get outside and take a peak anyway.
Look to the northeast after midnight on the 24rd, and as the constellation Leo Minor, rises over the horizon. Look for the Big Dipper asterism and the radiant point for this shower is a touch below its handle, or ladle. You’ll have all night to view the shower before the breaking new day washes out the shower, around 6:45am local time.
An Autumn Hunter’s Full Moon, October 26th
Long before electric lights, October’s bright Moon helped people see into the evening. It is a time to prepare for winter: animals were fattened, fields were cleared, when moonlight extended daylight well after sunset.
This month’s Full Hunter’s Moon occurs at 10:12pm MT this October.
It may be surprising to learn that many, many Indigenous peoples around the world kept track of the seasons through their assignment of unique names and meanings for each month’s Full Moon. Each name is associated with the focus of living and survival during that month.
October’s Hunter Moon denotes the time when tribes hunted and gathered meat and berries for the long winter season ahead. Similar in reason as to why the September Full Moon is called the Harvest Moon.
Yet, there isn't one universal "Native American name" for the October Full Moon. Different Indigenous nations had different lunar calendars and names, reflecting their own environments and seasonal cycles. And, the Hunter’s Full Moon isn't always in October. The Hunter's Moon is traditionally the first full Moon after the Harvest Moon, so it can occur in October or November. I bet you did not know that.
Unquestionably, the October stargazing calendar is a buzz. It’s no stretch to say that a month-long marathon of meteor showers is newsworthy. It just seems like there are back-to-back, continuous meteor showers throughout the entire month. All the while Mercury soaring to new heights at sundown, and we get one fading final look at a few of our summer favorite constellations. It was foretold that October would have multiple celestial joys and wonders for us to harvest. It’s nice when our expectations are met.
Oh, and as for that calico cat sleeping on top of Angler Mountain? She’s moved on. Leaving behind in her wake barren, dirty white - gray burnt matchsticks trunks of Aspen trees mixed within evergreen forests. Snow is expected next week.
Clear skies to you and enjoy a month chock full of meteor showers. Hope you get the chance to fill out October’s Marathon-o-Meteor-Showers-Month bingo card.
Good luck!
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