October 2023 uses a celestial reward with a noteworthy “ring of fire” solar eclipse, fascinating positionings of planets, and NASAs launch of the Psyche objective to investigate a special asteroid.
What are some skywatching highlights in October 2023?
A “ring of fire” solar eclipse across the Americas on October 14 is this months leading highlight! Plus the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus strike some beautiful poses for stargazers and world watchers to take pleasure in.
What to Look For:
A partial solar eclipse! Audiences within a narrow swath throughout the Americas will delight at a “ring of fire” eclipse of the Sun on October 14, while the Moon and planets strike some spectacular poses in the October sky.
September skywatching highlights:
October 2– The Moon rises a couple of hours after sundown, appearing very near the Pleiades star cluster. Try to find them low in the east after around 10pm, then they take a trip across the sky together all night.
October 3– In the predawn sky, the Moon appears a number of finger widths apart from the Pleiades. Search for them high in the southwest, flanked by Jupiter and the intense, red giant star Aldebaran in Taurus
October 10– On October 10th, search for Venus in the east before dawn, accompanied by a slim crescent Moon. In between them, spot the bright heart of Leo the lion, bluish-white star Regulus.
October 14– Annular eclipse of the Sun– Along a course about 125 miles wide, the Sun will look like a narrow ring of light, often called a “ring of fire.”
October 14– New moon
October 23– Look toward the south an hour or 2 after sunset to discover the Moon, about 70% brightened, hanging just below the planet Saturn. Their close distance in the sky will make for some easy telescope viewing of these 2 skywatching favorites.
October 24– Find the Moon hanging just to the east of the world Saturn tonight.
October 28– Full moon– The moon increases together with planet Jupiter tonight. These are two of the brightest objects in the sky, and seeing them so close must produce quite an outstanding sight.
The course of this partial eclipse sweeps across the Americas, beginning in Southern Canada and crossing the Western U.S., before moving across Central and South America.
Outside the annular eclipse course, those within the seeing zone will still see a partial eclipse.
The optimum quantity of the Sun that will be covered by the Moon depends upon your location.
On October 14th, skywatchers in the Americas will have a chance to see an unique type of solar eclipse called an annular eclipse. A map of the U.S. showing the path of the annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023. Lines on the map indicate the percentage of the Sun eclipsed by the Moon at the eclipse peak. Solar eclipses take place when the Moon comes in between Earth and the Sun, and covers at least part of the Sun in the sky. Outside the annular eclipse course, those within the viewing zone will still see a partial eclipse.
Sky chart revealing The Moon appearing extremely near to the Pleiades star cluster on the night of October 2. Credit: NASA
Video Transcript
Whats Up for October? Some excellent Moon-and-planet pairings, an objective to a metal-rich world, and a partial eclipse of the Sun.
On October 2nd, the Moon rises a number of hours after sundown, appearing extremely close to the Pleiades star cluster. Try to find them low in the east after around 10pm. They take a trip throughout the sky together that night, leaving another opportunity to see them the following early morning. In the predawn sky on October 3rd, the Moon appears a number of finger widths apart from the Pleiades, having actually moved a bit in its orbit around Earth throughout the night. Search for them high in the southwest, flanked by Jupiter and the brilliant, red giant star Aldebaran in Taurus.
On October 10th, try to find Venus in the east before sunrise, accompanied by a slim crescent Moon. And in between them, the intense heart of Leo the lion, bluiush-white star Regulus.
On October 23rd, look toward the south an hour or 2 after sundown to discover the Moon, about 70% brightened, hanging just below the world Saturn. Their close distance in the sky will make for some easy telescope watching of these two skywatching favorites. The following night, the Moon will still be close by, having relocated to the east of Saturn.
Sky chart showing the Moon hanging beneath Saturn in the night sky on October 23. Credit: NASA
The moon on October 28th increases together with world Jupiter. These are 2 of the brightest things in the sky, and seeing them so close must produce rather an impressive sight.
When you look up at Venus, Mars, Mercury (and even down at Earth below your feet), do you ever question how these worlds formed out of stardust? Thats how planetary researchers believe, too. And this month, NASAs releasing a spacecraft to seek new insights into how the “terrestrial” worlds developed. NASAs Psyche spacecraft is prepared to launch in October on its multi-year journey to an asteroid of the same name. Its the very first objective to a metal-rich asteroid, which might be part of the interior of a planetesimal– a building block of a rocky planet.
Asteroid Psyche could likewise end up being a different kind of iron-rich item thats not been seen before. Whatever its story turns out to be, its hoped the mission may reveal us how Earths core and the cores of the other terrestrial worlds happened.
On October 14th, skywatchers in the Americas will have an opportunity to see a special type of solar eclipse called an annular eclipse. Along a path about 125 miles wide, the Sun will appear as a narrow ring of light, which is frequently called a “ring of fire.” This narrow circle shape is likewise understood as an annulus, offering this kind of eclipse its name.
A map of the U.S. showing the course of the annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023. Inside the course of annularity, the Sun appears as a narrow ring of light at the peak of the eclipse. Lines on the map suggest the portion of the Sun eclipsed by the Moon at the eclipse peak.
Solar eclipses happen when the Moon comes in between Earth and the Sun, and covers at least part of the Sun in the sky. Sometimes the Moon is a bit further away in its orbit when an eclipse takes place, making it look a little smaller in the sky, and simply a bit too little to completely cover the Sun.
The path of this partial eclipse sweeps across the Americas, beginning in Southern Canada and crossing the Western U.S., before crossing Central and South America. Outside the annular eclipse course, those within the viewing zone will still see a partial eclipse. The optimum quantity of the Sun that will be covered by the Moon depends on your area.
Now, eclipse fans will not have to wait wish for more enjoyment. Next April, an overall solar eclipse will sweep throughout the U.S. Check out NASAs eclipse resources online for details about both eclipses, where theyll show up, and suggestions for safe watching.
Here are the phases of the Moon for October.
The stages of the Moon for October 2023. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech