Look up tonight (Oct 3) and you’ll see a half-moon — that’s the last quarter moon, which appears in the second half of the lunar month and can be seen from late night to dawn. The Moon changes its “face” every month — that’s what we call moon phases.
This October, the “sky theater” is full of shows worth watching:
- Oct 4 – Saturn at opposition: the side of Saturn lit by the Sun faces Earth, making it look bigger and brighter — a great time to observe it;
- Oct 5–6 – star-and-moon rendezvous: the Moon will appear beside Mars and Jupiter, like visiting neighbors in the night sky;
- Oct 12 – Mercury at greatest eastern elongation: the year’s last good chance to spot Mercury, low in the western sky around sunset;
- Oct 22 – Orionid meteor shower peak: these meteors actually come from the famous Halley’s Comet, like little sparks streaking across the sky.
Viewing tips: go to a wide-open, dark place to watch the stars; and when observing celestial objects like Mercury, never look directly at the Sun — it can hurt your eyes. May you enjoy a sky full of stars this autumn night!
