Colorado stargazers are in for ‘extra-special’ treats this October with 7 meteor showers and a couple of comets

Colorado nights are getting colder, however stargazers who get outdoors after darkish this October can be rewarded with a smattering of celestial phenomena.

Astronomy information Mark Laurin — who is healthier generally known as Astro Mark — wrote in his month-to-month stargazing weblog that this October is “extra special” as a result of seven meteor showers will attain their peak and two comets might be seen to the bare eye.

“Unquestionably, the October stargazing calendar is full,” Laurin mentioned. “It’s no stretch to say that there are big things happening in the night sky every night this month. From seemingly back-to-back meteor showers to comets galore.”

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A mentor with the nonprofit Dark Sky Colorado, Laurin is an advocate for preserving the evening sky darkish amid the ever-encroaching flood of synthetic mild within the trendy world. He teaches astronomy along side the Colorado Tourism Center and as an adjunct teacher for the Keystone Science School.

To get essentially the most out of the evening sky, Laurin recommends discovering a darkish spot away from synthetic mild, powering off telephones and different digital gadgets and permitting 20 minutes to your eyes to regulate to the darkness.

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Meteor showers

A meteor, usually known as a “shooting star,” is the intense streak of sunshine seen when a small piece of house particles burns up within the ambiance. A meteor bathe happens when the Earth’s orbit passes by way of a stream of particles left by a comet, inflicting a bathe of taking pictures stars because the particles burns up within the ambiance.

In complete, there are seven meteor showers — together with two main meteor showers, the Draconids and Orionids — that peak this October, Laurin mentioned. That means there’s a good probability to identify a taking pictures star any evening of the month.

“That’s enough flares, streamers, bolides, fireballs, streakers and smokers to light up the entire night sky the entire month,” Laurin mentioned. “That’s beginning to end, start to finish, and every evening in between.”

The Draconid Meteor Shower will peak Oct. 8. Unlike different meteor showers that are likely to have one of the best taking pictures stars after midnight, the Draconids don’t require stargazers to get outdoors at “ungodly hours,” Laurin wrote. Instead, the easiest way to view this meteor bathe is simply after nightfall and to look to the northeast horizon, he mentioned.

With solely an estimated 5 to 10 meteors per hour, Laurin mentioned the Draconid Meteor Shower shouldn’t be anticipated to be “exceptional” this yr, however the angle at which the particles will hit the ambiance will make for longer, streamer-type taking pictures stars. Since the moon was full on Oct. 6, mild from the moon might intrude with this meteor bathe.

The Orionid Meteor Shower will run from Oct. 2 by way of Nov. 7, peaking on Oct. 21. During the height, stargazers can count on between 15 and 20 meteors per hour, Laurin mentioned. To discover the meteor bathe, he really helpful wanting eastward after 10:30 p.m. to the place the constellation Orion can be rising above the horizon. Then, wanting up, preserving a large angle of the sky, since meteors can come from any path.

Other meteor showers this month embrace: the Camelopardalids, which peaked on Oct. 5 with two to 4 meteors per hour; the Southern Taurids, which peak Oct. 10 with about 5 meteors per hour; the Delta Aurigids, which peak Oct. 11 with about two meteors per hour; the Epsilon-Geminids, which peak Oct. 18 with about two meteors per hour; and the Leonis Minorids, which peak Oct. 24 with about two meteors per hour.

Comets

The evening of Oct. 24 can be an “extremely rare treat,” Laurin mentioned, as a result of it might supply the chance to see two comets — the C/2025 R2 Swan and the C/2025 A6 Lemmon — at the least one among which can be seen with out binoculars or a telescope.

Comets are basically “dirty snowballs” made up of ice, mud, rock and frozen gases that orbit the solar, in keeping with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The simpler comet to search out would be the Lemmon comet, since it’s anticipated to be seen with out binoculars, Laurin mentioned. Look to the northwest horizon round 7:30 p.m. The comet can be about 10 to fifteen levels off the horizon, which could be estimated by closing one eye and elevating a fist to the horizon. He mentioned the comet will seem like a “fuzzy patch with a tail.”

Astronomers are unsure how vivid the Swan comet will shine, so binoculars could or will not be needed to identify the Swan comet, Laurin mentioned. To discover the Swan comet, search for the three brightest stars within the southwestern sky. The three stars, a part of the constellation Aquila, will create a diagonal line pointed downward. Stargazers who observe the road created by the celebrities will discover the Swan comet.

The Lemmon comet must be seen for a number of days beginning Oct. 21 for a few three-hour window after sundown, Laurin famous. While clouds and light-weight air pollution might influence views of the comet, Laurin famous that there can be a brand new moon on Oct. 21, so mild from the moon won’t influence the visibility of the comet.