9 night sky events to see in October, from a harvest supermoon to ultra-high-speed shooting stars
The month is packed with skywatching highlights—including two galaxies visible to the naked eye and a rare glimpse of the innermost planet.
October’s sky is packed with epic astronomical events. The dwarf planet Ceres reaches peak brightness, the Orionid and Draconid meteor showers light up the night, and Mercury makes one of its best evening appearances of the year. Add in a supermoon and galaxies visible overhead, and it’s a strong month for stargazing.
Here are nine dazzling celestial highlights not to miss.
Prime views of the Andromeda Galaxy and Ceres—October 2
The neighboring Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31 (M31), will reach its highest point in the night sky on October 2, around midnight local time. Under very dark skies, it’s visible to the naked eye, though binoculars or a telescope make it far easier to spot.
(Our galaxy is due to crash into its neighbor—but when?)
On the same night, the dwarf planet Ceres—the largest object in the Asteroid Belt—reaches opposition, when it lies opposite the sun from Earth and shines at peak brightness. Like Andromeda, it will also be at its highest around midnight, making this an ideal night to seek out both cosmic neighbors.
The moon and Saturn meet—October 5
On the night of October 5, see the nearly full moon and Saturn meet in the night sky. They’ll be about 3.33 degrees apart, rising to their highest point around midnight local time.
Trace Saturn’s movement across the night sky from day to day, and you’ll notice it’s moving from east to west—that’s the opposite direction it usually travels. This retrograde movement, which happens several months each year due to Earth’s orbit, will end on November 27.
The full harvest supermoon—October 6
October’s full moon rises on October 6, just as the moon reaches perigee—the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit. That timing makes it a supermoon, appearing up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than when the moon is at its farthest point. Dubbed the “harvest moon” per the Farmer’s Almanac, it is the closest full moon to the autumn equinox, which can fall in either September or October.
Draconid meteor shower peak—October 8
Between October 6 and 10, the Earth will move through the debris trail of Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, creating the annual Draconid meteor shower. Peak activity is expected to occur on the night of October 8.
This year, the Draconids happen just after the full moon, which means all but the brightest meteors will likely be drowned out by moonlight. Still, keep an eye on the sky for a chance to see shooting stars.
The moon and the Pleiades converge—October 10
On October 10, the waning gibbous moon and the Pleiades star cluster will be less than one degree apart. At about 85 percent illumination, the moon’s glare will drown out the faintest members of the cluster, but the brightest stars will still shine through.
The Pleiades, also known as Messier 45 (M45) or the Seven Sisters, are an open cluster of stars. The nickname “Seven Sisters” is a little misleading. While six of the stars in this cluster are typically visible to the naked eye, there are more than 1,000 in the group.
The Triangulum Galaxy rises high—October 15
See the Triangulum Galaxy, one of our galactic neighbors, rise high in the night sky on October 15. Also known as Messier 33 (M33), this galaxy is the third largest in our local group, following Andromeda and the Milky Way.
Under very dark skies, the Triangulum Galaxy can be visible to the naked eye. But its tidy spiral shape is best seen through a telescope or binoculars.
(These are the world’s best stargazing spots.)
Close approach of the moon and Venus—October 19
The moon and Venus will appear less than four degrees apart in the pre-dawn sky on October 19. The pair will appear close to the eastern horizon.
(These are the best stargazing sites in North America.)
Venus shines so brightly because its thick clouds reflect sunlight with exceptional efficiency, making it the third-brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon. Depending on its position in orbit, it appears either as the “morning star” before sunrise or the “evening star” after sunset.
The Orionid meteor shower peaks during a new moon—October 21
The Orionid meteor shower peak is expected to coincide with the new moon on October 21, and the lack of moonlight makes for optimal stargazing conditions. This meteor shower, originating from the debris of comet 1P/Halley, is known for its extremely bright and fast-moving shooting stars.
While meteors are best seen with the naked eye, use a telescope or binoculars to spot dim, deep-sky objects like faraway galaxies and glowing nebulae under this evening’s moonless skies.
Mercury at greatest eastern elongation—October 29
Because Mercury orbits so close to the sun, it’s often obscured by the star’s glare. But on October 29, the planet reaches its greatest eastern elongation, or its greatest separation from the sun from our perspective.
This makes the days around October 29 one of the best times to view Mercury. Look for the planet toward the west in the early evening, just after sunset.
