The Sky This Month, October
As the Dragon breathes Fire and the Hunter lights his torch, the October rain sets in
Golden leaves fall from the trees, meteors rain from the skies! The flurry of Autumn marks itself on the ground and the heavens.
As a touch of orange guilds the leaves, marking the passing of the September-equinox, the season begins to shift. The harsh sun is replaced with welcome rains in the northern hemisphere while the chilly south gets its share of warmth. The season of fall has its own festive air, with leaves gathering in a flurry like people dancing in a fair. The the cool wind numbs a hard day’s strain, like a slow walk with someone in the October rain. The sky too dresses its best for the occasion, and dusts off its box of fireworks! With bright constellations to spruce up the heavens, and meteor showers adding to Orion’s splendor and Draco’s majesty, the sky puts on its best panoply for the festive season.
This article covers the major events in the sky with a little bit of science and folklore, so you can muse your fellow stargazers as you marvel at the beauty of the endless skies.
The Hercules constellation
Hercules after meeting the Oracle at Delphi, prayed to the god Apollo for guidance. He was told to serve king Eurystheus the ruler of Mycenae (located in the Peloponnese region of modern Greece), for 12 years during which he was sent to perform twelve herculean feats, called labours.
The eleventh labour was to steal the golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides who were the nymphs of the golden evening sunlight, and the ‘Daughters of the Evening’. The apples were guarded by the formidable dragon Ladon, which will appear later in this article.
After the death of his mortal half, Zeus placed Hercules in the sky as a constellation to immortalize his valour. In the constellation, his left leg (with θ Hercules as the knee and ι Hercules the foot) is stepping on Draco’s head, which Hercules had vanquished and gloats over for eternity.
The Hercules constellation appears the brightest this month. To find Hercules in the sky, locate the two brightest stars: orange Arcturus (Alpha Boötis), which will lie to the west, and bluish-white Vega (Alpha Lyrae) to the east. As you scan through the vastness between these stars, locate the point three-fifths of the way from Arcturus to Vega, and you’ll spot the mighty Hercules Cluster. From places with low light pollution this star cluster can be spotted with the naked eyes. Whereas in cities that never sleep, you may have to use binoculars, due to the location imparting its brightness to the sky.
Thursday, October 4
61 years ago, on this very day, mankind launched Sputnik 1. The first ever artificial satellite to orbit planet earth and end the Moon’s loneliness. It broadcasted for three weeks till it exhausted its batteries, after which it made a few last rounds to bring its tally to a total of 1,440 orbits, before diving back into the earth’s atmosphere on January 4, 1958.
Friday, October 5
The seasonal festivities attract even the heavens and our dearest Moon steps closer to gaze back at us. It reaches perigee, the closest spot from the Earth at around 6:30 P.M. EDT. Perfectly in time for when the celebration will be in full swing.
The Lion is a cat after all, and in its curiosity, joins the Moon for a visit. The constellation of Leo does not know how to shy, and presents its brightest jewel Regulus a couple of degrees south of the Moon to boldly mark its location.
Saturday, October 6
The Lord of the rings makes his rounds along the horizon today, astride his centaur archer, Sagittarius, approximately 20° over the southwest as dusk sets in. The planet appears starkly brighter than the background stars making it easy to spot. Even a modest telescope gives a splendid view as it flaunts its rings in an open angle.
Sunday, October 7
While the more prominent members of the autumn sky steal the show, even the minor planets send forth their emissary. Their brightest member now, Vesta, coyly steps into view to the south of the centaur. Amidst the Teapot asterism of Sagittarius, Kaus Borealis (Lambda Sagittarii) is the orange star at the peak of the pot’s lid. Once you locate this, Vesta will lie only 20' to the south.
Monday, October 8:
The Draconid meteor shower, as the name suggests, appears from around the maw of the majestic dragon constellation Draco. This minor meteor shower isn’t as active as the other ones (you can see up to ten meteors per hour), yet it puts up a fiery show with the image of the dragon breathing fire over the night sky. It is produced by dust grains left behind by the comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner.
Draco can be spotted near the bright star of Vega. The best viewing time is in the early evenings instead of early mornings, unlike most other showers. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky. Draco is a circumpolar constellation (that is, never setting), and can be seen all year long from northern latitudes.
According to the myth, Hercules slew Ladon, the guardian of the Golden Apples to complete his eleventh labor, infuriating King Eurystheus who thought it could not possibly be done.
The chess opening called the Dragon Variation of the Sicilian Defense was also named after the constellation by Russian chess master Fyodor Dus-Chotimirsky.
Tuesday, October 9:
Today is a New Moon, and with the Moon hidden for a while, we get the opportunity to stargaze better and find meeker guests in the skies this season. Autumn brings long nights as a gift, so we can leisurely set-up telescopes and gaze for a longer duration. In the southern hemisphere however, the day is longer and is filled with crisp sunlight. You folks down there better be swift to not miss anything!
This is a great opportunity to view the Draconids!
Thursday, October 11:
As the sun sets today, the fresh Moon encounters the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. They appear a mere 4° apart, right over the horizon to the southwest of the sky. Venus and Saturn also join the conversation, so look for bright Venus to spot this group.
Sunday, October 14:
Today it’s Saturn’s turn to give the moon company and this is the closest he will ever get to the Moon, a mere 1.5° apart. It takes great humility to talk equally while wearing so many rings, and Saturn isn’t known for its modesty. Besides, he has a lush harvest to oversee this season!
Look for the same spot just over the southern horizon.
Thursday, October 18:
Mars makes his move on the Moon too, passing within 2° of the Moon tonight.
The Red Planet has been dressing especially vibrant these days since its close approach to the earth in July. The Moon and Mars take a stroll across the night sky from the southeast to the southwest.
Sunday, October 21:
The Orionid meteor shower is the indubitable show-stopper in this month with opulent scenery. This shower will peak on this day from dusk to dawn, although it lingers around from the 16th to the 30th. Unlike the Draconids this show has no meager pace. With up to 25 meteors streaking through the darkness per hour at the peak, this is truly a spectacle to behold. These are easy to spot as they originate from the grand constellation of Orion, but aren’t limited to it and appear all over the sky. The nearly full moon will dazzle out some of the fainter meteors, but the Orionids are reasonably bright, so it will still be a good show. Besides, they will take the southern stage of the night sky, and hence are less disturbed by the Moon’s glaring beauty.
The best time to watch the Orionids will be in the pre-dawn hours of 3:30–5:00 am, once the moon sets.
The Orionid meteor shower, is the most prolific meteor shower associated with Halley’s Comet. In some lucky years, meteors have been recorded to occur at rates of 50–70 per hour!
With the hunting season in full swing, it is as if the mythical hunter himself has lit his torch, preparing for the hunt with his dog Sirius, its fangs shimmering in the moonlight.
Tuesday, October 23:
With the jubilant festivities on earth and in the heavens in full swing, the god of the skies himself steps in to personally oversee the proceedings, to not have any slacking in celebrations this year.
While Uranus is visible to the naked eye tonight, the magnification is most rewarding today, as the planet stands in opposition (meaning that Uranus is opposite from the sun in our sky,) giving a spectacular view of the brightly lit face of this gas giant. Look for it high in the southern sky, above the Moon. Light from the Moon may interfere with some observations, so it’s worth a trip to the local observatory to get a better view on this special day.
Wednesday, October 24:
The moon will be in full illumination today and sheds brilliant light over the land at night. The early Native American tribes called this ‘the Full Hunter’s Moon’, because at this time of year the leaves are falling and the game is fat and ready to be stalked and hunted. The longer nights prolong the cloak of darkness, giving the hunters ample time to set traps and stalk their prey.
With great hunts come large banquets, gala festivities, and enough food to save up for the winter. Still extant echoes of these celebrations are found in the autumn Thanksgiving holiday and the Jewish Sukkot holiday, with their roots in a full-moon harvest festival of “tabernacles” (living in outdoor huts around the time of harvest). The Chinese Mid-Autumn or Moon festival, and many others are examples of the kind of celebrations that happen in autumn. The predominant mood of these autumnal celebrations is a gladness for the fruits of the earth mixed with a certain melancholy linked to the imminent arrival of harsh weather.
Wednesday, October 31:
With the autumn rains setting in and the Moon in its last quarter, the air moves from festive to damp and eerie. Autumn, especially in poetry, has often been associated with melancholia. The warmth and care of summer is gone and winter’s cold embrace starts to furl in around us. Skies turn grey, the amount of usable daylight drops rapidly, and many people turn inward, both physically and mentally. What else to do indoors?
In this setting thought inevitably goes to the departed. Many cultures make it a point to celebrate them for what they’ve given us and immortalize them in us as saints and martyrs. To turn melancholy into gratitude many festivals of the dead were invented, the most popular of them, Halloween. It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain.
With the spectral ambience, it’s the perfect time for tricks, pranks, and adventure to distract oneself to a better mood.
Full list of events this October:
October 4, Sputnik launch
October 5, The Moon reaches perigee
October 6, Saturn on the centaur
October 7, Vesta, the brightest minor planet
October 8, Draconid Meteor Shower
October 9, New Moon
October 11, Close Approach of Jupiter & the Moon
October 14, Close Approach of Saturn & the Moon
October 18, Close Approach of Mars & the Moon
October 21–22, Orionid Meteor Shower
October 23, Uranus at opposition
October 24, Full Hunter’s Moon
October 31, Halloween
