October 4th will provide a great view of planets, the Moon, and a red supergiant
On Friday, October 4, there will be a beautiful display of Saturn, the crescent Moon, Jupiter, and the red supergiant star Antares. (If you are in very dark skies, you might even see the Milky Way behind the Moon!) From just after sunset, when the skies get darker (around 7:45 pm CST) until 9:30 pm CST, these four objects make a gentle arc in the southwestern sky. It will be a beautiful heavenly display you don’t want to miss!
Image made with Stellarium.
The Draconid Meteor Shower
Another celestial event happening in the next few days is the Draconid meteor shower. This annual meteor shower occurs when Earth’s orbit passes through Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. The debris from this comet strikes Earth’s atmosphere and burns up. The result is a meteor shower or “shooting stars.”
Image Credit: 2018 Draconid Meteor Shower, 2018 Draconid Meteor Shower
This year’s Draconids will be active between October 6-10, but are expected to peak on October 8. While this shower is not typically a rich shower, it has been known to put on quite a show in years past. In 2011, European observers saw more than 600 per hour! Unlike many meteor showers, this one peaks in the evening not in the middle of the night or early morning. The best meteor shower viewing will be in dark skies. If you are in a city, find a place that can shield the street or city lights, such as using your house to block the light.
Happy viewing!