Every autumn the sky offers a quiet calendar to anyone willing to lift their eyes, and October 2021 arrived with a full page of it: a distant asteroid brought to its brightest, a string of meteor showers drifting in and out of moonlight, and the Moon passing close to the planets as it crosses the evening and dawn skies. Such notices are a reminder that people have always measured their lives against the heavens, planning vigils and journeys around slow celestial appointments. Yet these were forecasts written months ahead, and their wording was not always exact, so the sky's promises were best
October Sky Guide: Meteor Showers, Planetary Pairings and Asteroid Opposition Lined Up for Skywatchers
A month of meteor showers, with the Orionids billed as the best night
Mark
So what's the headline for October? There's a lot on this list.
Mimi
Meteor showers, mostly. Camelopardalids on the 5th, Draconids on the 8th, Southern Taurids on the 10th, δ-Aurigids on the 11th, ε-Geminids on the 18th, Orionids on the 21st, Leonis Minorids on the 24th.
Mark
And the Orionids are the big one?
Mimi
The article calls 21 October the greatest night of the month. But it also says moonlight will interfere, and suggests 3:30 to 5:00 am.
Luke
That window is attributed to a Space Tourism Guide report, not worked out by Firstpost. Treat it as one source's suggestion.
Mark
What about the numbers on the showers? Are they impressive?
Mimi
Not really. The Southern Taurids top out around five meteors an hour, and the ε-Geminids at 3 per hour.
Luke
Right, and the article gives no rates for the others, so we can't say which nights will actually deliver. Also, calling the Camelopardalids a perfect night leans on the new moon, not on the shower's strength.
Mark
Anything the piece gets wrong?
Luke
Some wording is muddled. The Harmonia entry is oddly phrased, and says nothing about whether it's visible without a telescope. I'd check an almanac before planning.
Mimi
The Moon pairings with Venus, Saturn and Jupiter are probably the easiest to enjoy. No waiting up until pre-dawn.
Il Polso
- A faint asteroid, 40 Harmonia, reaches opposition on 1 October, quietly claiming attention before the month's real spectacle begins.
- Moonlight threatens to wash out the showers, with the Orionids on 21 October, billed as the month's best night, dimmed by a bright Moon in the southern sky.
- Planets and the Moon keep converging in tight pairings, with Venus on 9 October, Saturn on 14 October and Jupiter on 15 October all drawing eyes upward.
- Observers are urged to check dates and times against an observatory or almanac, since the forecast's descriptions are loose in places and the sky's schedule can shift the plan.
- The month ends on a crescendo with Mercury at its morning peak on 24 October, and the Leonis Minorids adding one last shower before dawn.
Every autumn the sky offers a quiet calendar to anyone willing to lift their eyes, and October 2021 arrived with a full page of it: a distant asteroid brought to its brightest, a string of meteor showers drifting in and out of moonlight, and the Moon passing close to the planets as it crosses the evening and dawn skies. Such notices are a reminder that people have always measured their lives against the heavens, planning vigils and journeys around slow celestial appointments. Yet these were forecasts written months ahead, and their wording was not always exact, so the sky's promises were best held lightly until confirmed against a reliable almanac.
The month opens with a rock most people will never look for. On 1 October 2021, asteroid 40 Harmonia reaches opposition, the moment when the Sun, Earth and the asteroid line up and it shines at its brightest. Firstpost places it in Cetus and notes that it is unusually round for an asteroid. It is the first entry in a long October calendar of sky events.
The meteor showers follow in quick succession. The Camelopardalids peak on 5 October under a new moon, which leaves the sky dark even though the shower is modest. The Draconids come on 8 October, from the dragon constellation near Vega, with little moon to interfere. On 10 October the Southern Taurids peak, a northern-visible shower named for the two branches of the Taurids, with about five meteors an hour expected.
The Moon then keeps company with the planets. It passes Venus on 9 October, Saturn on 14 October and Jupiter on 15 October. On 17 October, the distant dwarf planet Eris reaches opposition, though a world so far away is not an easy target.
The Orionids on 21 October were billed as the best night of the month, but the Moon in the southern sky brings considerable glare. The article suggests 3:30 to 5:00 am as the best window. The month closes on 24 October with Mercury at its morning peak and the Leonis Minorids before dawn.
These were 2021 forecasts, and the descriptions were not always precise. Anyone planning a night out should confirm dates, times and conditions with an observatory or almanac first.
The month opens with a rock most people will never look for. On 1 October 2021, asteroid 40 Harmonia reaches opposition, the point where the Sun, Earth and the asteroid line up and the asteroid is at its brightest. Firstpost describes Harmonia as a large main-belt asteroid, notably round by asteroid standards, and places it in the constellation Cetus. It is the first entry in a long October calendar of sky events.
The meteor showers begin four nights later. On 5 October the Camelopardalids peak. Camelopardalis, the constellation said to represent a giraffe, is described as one of the most overlooked in the night sky, and the shower itself is not among the most active. What helps is the new moon that night, which leaves the sky dark.
The Draconids follow on 8 October. They take their name from Draco, the dragon, a northern constellation that sits near the bright star Vega. Firstpost says the young Moon should interfere little, and recommends watching before dawn or after dusk. The next evening, 9 October, a three-day-old Moon passes close to Venus, the two sitting 2°51' apart. The article suggests looking once dusk fades.
On 10 October the Southern Taurids peak. The name suggests a southern show, but the shower is visible from the northern hemisphere. It is called Southern because the Taurids split into two branches. Observers can expect a maximum of about five meteors an hour. The δ-Aurigids peak the night after, on 11 October, though the article gives no further detail.
Then come two nights of Moon pairings. On 14 October Saturn appears near the Moon, 3°56' apart, with the Moon at first quarter. On 15 October it is Jupiter's turn to sit close to the Moon. On 17 October, Eris, the massive and distant dwarf planet, reaches opposition. Firstpost says it will appear bright, though a world that far out is not an easy target.
The ε-Geminids peak on 18 October at a maximum zenithal hourly rate of 3 per hour, with a small waxing crescent Moon in the sky. The Orionids on 21 October are billed as the best night of the month, since the shower radiates from a point near Orion. The catch is moonlight: the Moon will be in the southern sky and add considerable light interference. Citing a Space Tourism Guide report, the article gives 3:30 am to 5:00 am as the best viewing window.
The month closes on 24 October with two events. Mercury reaches its morning peak, rising 17° above the eastern horizon and visible to the naked eye. The same day the Leonis Minorids peak in the pre-dawn hours, the last meteor shower of the month. They appear to come from Leo, near the bright star Regulus.
These are 2021 forecasts, and the article's descriptions are loose in places. The opposition entry, for instance, is confusingly worded. Anyone planning a night out should check dates, times and local conditions against an observatory or an astronomy almanac first.
Citazioni salienti
The best time to watch the Orionids is 3:30 am to 5:00 am, according to a Space Tourism Guide report cited by Firstpost.— Firstpost, citing Space Tourism Guide
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