Eyes on the Sky Update
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29
Monday, Oct. 23 – Jupiter, the current Evening “Star,” rises tonight at 6:30 p.m. as civil twilight begins. Saturn, much dimmer than Jupiter, is over the southeastern horizon at this time and to the upper left of the nine-day old waxing gibbous moon.
Tuesday, Oct. 24 – Venus, the current Morning “Star,” is above the eastern horizon by 4:30 a.m. This planet moves higher to the east-southeast as sunrise approaches. In the evening sky, the gibbous moon is over the southeastern point at 6:30 p.m. and appears to the lower left of Saturn.
Wednesday, Oct. 25 – The winter stars of Orion are located halfway up the sky over the southern horizon by 4:30 a.m. In the evening sky, the bright gibbous moon appears to the lower right of Neptune but you will need a telescope to see this planet.
Thursday, Oct. 26 – By 10 p.m., the stars of the Summer Triangle – Vega, Deneb, Altair – are starting to get low in the west. Meanwhile, the Big Dipper is riding just over the northern horizon.
Friday, Oct. 27 – The summer stars of Sagittarius are setting in southwest by 8 p.m. while the winter stars of Taurus are rising in east-northeast.
Saturday, Oct. 28 – Night of the Full Hunter’s Moon and since it is two weeks after an eclipse of the sun, there is a lunar eclipse. (A lunar eclipse can also occur two weeks before a solar eclipse.) This partial eclipse of the moon will start at midafternoon local time, so this eclipse is primarily a European, Asian and African event. Only five percent of Earth’s inner, dark shadow will cover the moon at maximum. By evening, this Hunter’s Moon will appear above Jupiter.
Sunday, Oct. 29 – This evening, the waning gibbous moon appears to the east (left) of Jupiter. The moon also appears just to the upper left of the planet Uranus, but binoculars or a telescope are needed to see this planet. All three of these celestial objects are above the eastern horizon by 8:30 p.m. while Saturn is at its highest altitude in the south at this time.
Editor’s Note: Richard Monda, assistant professor of Physics and Astronomy in the Biology, Chemistry and Physics Department, publishes updates to his HVCC Eyes on the Sky, a YouTube video series, each week.