October Astronomy Sights You’ll Want to Try and See – NBC Connecticut
A new month means new night sky sights overhead.
This month features two meteor showers peaking – the Draconid and Orionid.
But, due to the full moon for the second weekend of the month, the Draconid peak will likely be washed out thanks to the moon’s brightness.
The Orionid peak would be the better to look out for since it’ll come around the time of the new moon.
Around the same time as the peak of the Draconid meteor shower and full moon, the solar system’s smallest planet – Mercury – reaches something that’s called “greatest western elongation.” That means that early risers have a good shot of seeing Mercury in the morning ahead of sunrise.
In case you miss that morning, Mercury actually gets brighter through the month.
This month’s full moon is called the “hunter’s moon” due to the hunters hunting and prepping meat ahead of the winter season.
Something else of note – even though we won’t see it here in North America – is a partial solar eclipse. Next month brings a total lunar eclipse, known as a “blood moon,” that we’ll be able to see in the Americas.
More upcoming eclipses, click here.
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