Woking Planetarium

Read our October sky notes to find out what’s in the night sky this month!

Map

Constellations

These constellations are well placed in the evening this month, but many more can be seen. Check the star map for more.

Hercules appears high in the western sky at sunset. It sets relatively quickly in the north, so best views will be early evening. It appears higher, and will therefore be visible longer, earlier in the month.

Pegasus begins the night in the south eastern sky, near to the zenith. It moves across the sky towards the south during the night, before setting in the west in the early hours of the morning.

Cepheus is high in the sky, appearing slightly to the north of the zenith. It is circumpolar, and so can be seen all night as it moves in a small circle to the west around the Pole Star.

Planets

Mercury spends most of the month too close to the Sun to be seen. Its highest altitude will be on the 9^th, and around this time it rises just before the Sun in the east and so can be seen with a clear horizon just before dawn. Mercury will be at dichotomy (half phase) and greatest elongation west on the 8^th.

Venus is too close to the Sun to be seen this month.

Mars rises a couple of hours after sunset and so is well placed for observing in the evening sky. It can be seen above the north eastern horizon, and moves higher and towards the south over the course of the night. Best views will be just before dawn, when it is highest in the sky. Mars will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 15^th, and enters retrograde motion on the 30^th.

Jupiter appears in the eastern sky at sunset and moves across the south to set in the west at dawn. By the end of the month, it rises earlier and sets in the hours before dawn. Jupiter will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 8^th.

Saturn stays low in the southern sky this month. At sunset it appears in the south east and moves across the sky to set in the south west just before dawn. Saturn will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 5^th, and ends retrograde motion on the 23^rd.

Uranus is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. It rises in the east and follows a high path across the southern sky towards the west, where it disappears at dawn. Uranus will undergo a lunar occultation on the 12^th.

Neptune is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. It sticks close to Jupiter this month, appearing just its right.

Meteor Showers

The October Camelopardalids reach their peak on the 6^th. The radiant (apparent origin point) of the meteors will be in the constellation of Draco. This is a circumpolar constellation and so meteors will be visible all night. Best displays are likely to be just before dawn, when Draco is at its highest. You will be able to see around 5 meteors per hour.

The Draconids reach their peak on the 9^th. The radiant (apparent origin point) of the meteors will be in the constellation of Draco. This is a circumpolar constellation so meteors will be visible all night. Best displays are likely to be just after dusk when Draco is at its highest. You will be able to see around 10 meteors per hour.

The Southern Taurids reach their peak on the 10^th. The radiant (apparent origin point) of the meteors will be in the constellation of Cetus. Meteors will be visible from 19:05 BST until dawn. Best displays are likely to be around 02:00 BST when Cetus is at its highest. You will be able to see around 3 meteors per hour.

The δ-Aurigids reach their peak on the 11^th. The radiant (apparent origin point) of the meteors will be in the constellation of Auriga. Meteors will be visible all night, as this constellation is circumpolar. Best displays are likely to be around 05:00 BST, when Auriga is at its highest. You will be able to see around 1 meteor per hour.

The ε-Geminids reach their peak on the 18^th. The radiant (apparent origin point) of the meteors will be in the constellation of Gemini. Meteors will be visible from 21:20 BST through to sunrise. Best displays are likely to be just before dawn, when Gemini is at its highest. You will be able to see around 2 meteors per hour.

The Orionids reach their peak on the 21^st. The radiant (apparent origin point) of the meteors will be in the constellation of Orion. Meteors will be visible from 21:55 BST until dawn. Best displays are likely to be around 05:00 BST, when Orion is highest in the sky. You will be able to see around 12 meteors per hour.

The Leonis Minorids reach their peak on the 24^th. The radiant (apparent origin point) of the meteors will be in the constellation of Leo Minor. Meteors will be visible from dusk until 20:35 BST, when the radiant sets in the west, and become visible once more at 22:43 BST when it rises again in the east. Best displays are likely to be just before dawn, as Leo Minor is at its highest in the morning sky. You will be able to see around 1 meteor per hour.

Moon

Full Moon: 9^th

Last Quarter: 17^th

New Moon: 25^th

First Quarter: 3^rd

The Moon reaches perigee, its closest point to the Earth, on the 4^th and the 29^th, and apogee, its furthest point from the Earth, on the 17^th. This effect is not visually apparent.

The Moon will be at perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, on the 27^th. This effect is not visually apparent.

Points of Interest

The dwarf planet 136199 Eris is at opposition on the 18^th. It will be in the constellation of Cetus and reach its highest point in the sky around 01:00 BST. It will be visible between 21:37 and 04:29 BST.

A partial solar eclipse will take place on the 15^th. Between 10:00 and 14:01 BST, the Moon passes in front of the Sun. From Woking, it will block 14% of its disk and pass over the top left corner.

Visit Spot the Station to find out when the ISS will be visible from your location.

Last updated: 27^th September.