What to observe for as Orion reigns over early morning sky in October

Most everybody’s favourite constellation, Orion the Hunter, is up simply earlier than dawn reminding me that winter is sort of right here. Orion’s measurement, brilliant stars, and distinctive three-star belt and three-star sword make it straightforward to search out. Look rigorously on the sword — you will be unable to deal with the center star. That’s as a result of it’s not a star in any respect – it’s M42, the “Great Orion Nebula.”

Stars are being born out of interstellar gasoline and mud in Orion. The very popular new stars are thrilling the gasoline and mud to type the nebula.

The Orion Nebula is about 1,300 light-years away, so that you’re taking a look at it the place it was 1,300 years in the past. For instance, the Moon is the place it was over a second in the past. The Sun is the place it was about 8 minutes in the past. The Andromeda Galaxy is the place it was over 2.5 million years in the past.

October skies

Morning sky: Most of the planetary motion happens within the morning sky. Venus and Jupiter proceed to dominate the morning sky. Venus may be very brilliant so you possibly can’t miss it. It rises round 6 a.m. early within the month and round 7 a.m. late October. Jupiter is the following brightest and it rises round 2 a.m. early within the month and round midnight by the top of October.

Evening sky: Saturn has entered the night sky. You can catch it early within the night within the japanese sky and is seen all through the night and into the morning. Watch the Moon cross a few brilliant stars, see beneath for dates.

third: International Observe the Moon Night. Come view the Quarter Moon and tour the evening sky with the Tallahassee Astronomical Society. This FREE occasion is held month-to-month at Cascades Park in downtown Tallahassee.  See the moon, any planets which are up, and such different heavenly wonders as could also be within the sky.  Quarter Moon viewing is the proper time to convey your loved ones, residence college group, or different small group to see the sky, ask questions on astronomy, and see some telescopes in motion!  8 p.m. till 10:30 p.m. climate allowing.

4th: Tallahassee Astronomical Society’s free planetarium present, “October Skies over Tallahassee,” on the Fogg Planetarium on the Challenger Learning Center (not really helpful for kids beneath 5). Doors shut at 10 a.m. sharp.

4th: International Observe the Moon Night at Challenger Learning Center, 6 p.m. by means of 10 p.m. climate allowing.

fifth: Moon close to Saturn within the night sky.

seventh: Full Moon.

Ninth-Tenth: Moon passes in entrance of the Pleiades star cluster starting at 10 p.m. on Ninth and ending at 1:30 a.m. on the Tenth. Use binoculars or a low powered telescope as a result of the Moon will washout all however the brighter stars.

thirteenth: First quarter Moon.

14th: Moon types triangle with Jupiter and the brilliant star Pollux within the morning sky.

sixteenth: Moon close to brilliant star Regulus.

nineteenth: Moon close to Venus within the morning sky.

Twentieth-Twenty first: Orionid meteor bathe peaks.

Twenty first: New Moon.

twenty fourth: Moon close to brilliant pink star Antares (“Rival of Mars”) within the night sky.

twenty ninth: First quarter Moon.

Check out TAS’s occasions calendar at tallystargazers.org.

Ken Kopczynski is a former president of the Tallahassee Astronomical Society, an area group of newbie astronomers.