Sun rises at 6:04am
Sun sets at 5:52pm
Moon phase: First quarter, waxing
Moon rises at 1:05pm
Moon sets: 11:39pm
Meteor shower
As we told you last week, the Draconid meteor shower peaked last night on October 7, but Saturday evening will still give a good show, according to some predictions. Unlike most meteor showers, the Draconids are best seen in the evening hours, rather than the pre-dawn. And, interestingly, these particular meteors tend to be quite slow moving! Look to the north, by Draco and the Dippers, and enjoy! We recommend a cot or laid-out chaise lounge, with some cool music or an audio book to pass the time.
Telescope time!
While you peruse the skies for falling stars, cast your eyes to the western sky. If you have a telescope or binoculars, by all means enjoy zooming in on many of these beauties.
By 7:00pm, the skies are nice and dark; the brightest stars will twinkle clearly, that is, of course, if the clouds clear away. The array you will observe, beginning at the horizon, is the bright star Arcturus to the right with the brilliant planet Venus on the left. Lift your gaze up and to the left to see another pair of bright lights, Saturn and Antares. Saturn is above and to the right. Keep going up and left and there are two more hard-to-miss celestial bodies: the Moon and Mars.
After identifying these wonderful sights, use your binoculars or telescope to see the details, such as the rings of Saturn or the craters of the moon. The moon’s brightness may obscure some of the details you are seeking, but the moon itself is well worth studying this weekend, the shadows will be in an extreme position allowing the terrain of the moon to be clearly observed – a great view is worth sharing with friends and family, so make it a social event.
Late night
About midnight, the sky offers some great constellation viewing. The northern skies at this hour are a bit sparse, but do show Ursa Minor, aka the Little Dipper, close to the horizon. Higher up, the inverted “W” of Cassiopeia is easily spotted.
Turning to the right, the northeast skies show the twins, Gemini, arm in arm, although upside down. Due east, you’ll find the hunter Orion rising, slowly stalking Taurus the Bull. Even higher up, the Pleiades twinkles, seeming like a tiny dipper.
Overhead at the bewitching hour is the Great Square of Pegasus and on to the west look for the constellation Cygnus the Swan swooping down to the horizon.
Pre-dawn
For those early risers, look east to catch a quick glimpse of Mercury and Jupiter coming up from the horizon. They will rise about 5:30am. By 6:00am, the sun will wash them away with its dazzling brilliance.
Thank you for keeping up with the Night Sky articles. If you are out later on in the week, each star rises about four minutes earlier each day than written here, and the moon rises 50 minutes later. Night Sky is researched and compiled by Lisa Davis-Burnett. Earthsky.org is a key resource for information and images. Questions or comments? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
