UNITED STATES: The last two months were golden months for anyone who love the night events, there were many celestial events which were worth watching. While some required the use of telescopes but many events were also available for the naked eye spectators.
Also, loads of man-made missions took place in the past couple of months from postponing the Artemis mission to the successful crash of the DART rover. This month will also be a good month to watch a series of celestial events. The month of October is also referred to as the meteor shower month, take a look at what this month has for the night sky gazers.
October 5: Camelopardalis Meteor Shower
The nights of October 5 and 6 should see the accompanying showers and meteor companions of the enormous giraffe-shaped constellation Camelopardalis. Even though there are only about 10 meteors an hour during this shower, which isn’t very impressive, its enigmatic past and unidentified origins make it the ideal symbol for the spookiest month of the year.
October 7: Draconid Meteor Shower
The Draconids is this month’s surprise team because of how unexpected it is. The shower has fluctuated in quality over the years, sometimes even surpassing the Perseid and Geminid giants with an astonishing 600 meteors per hour show From ground dusk to dawn, keep an eye out for this dragon coming from the Draco constellation, you might get good ones.
October 8: Mercury at 51% Illumination.
This one is for the naked eye viewers also, Mercury will be leaving our Sun at its greatest separation from Earth on this day, about 18° western elongation from the Sun, making it the best time to view Mercury from Earth. On October 9 in the early morning, it can be seen around the Eastern horizon.
October 9: Hunter’s Moon
The Hunter’s Moon is the Full Moon of October. Additionally, it is referred to as the Travel Moon, Dying Grass Moon, Blood Moon, and occasionally Sanguine Moon.
Although the Moon generally rises each day 50 minutes later, the Hunter’s Moon has special circumstances (as well as the Harvest Moon). Sunset and moonrise occur close together because each subsequent night, one of these moons typically rises 30 minutes later.
Indian significance of Hunter’s Moon
On the full moon day of the lunar month of Ashvin, India celebrates Sharad Purnima, a harvest festival that heralds the end of the monsoon season (September-October). During this time, there is a customary moon celebration called the “Kaumudi” celebration, which is named from the Hindi word for “moonlight.”
October 21-22: Orionids Meteor Shower
Halley’s Comet is the source of the Orionid meteors that we see. Approximately every 76 years, this comet circles the sun, leaving behind dust particles in its wake that resemble steam issuing from a locomotive. Each year in late October, we divert from this course. Each time a comet travels through the inner solar system, its nucleus loses between 3 and 10 feet (1-3 metres) of material. It can withstand countless orbits around the sun because it is 5×9 miles (8×15 km) in size.
October 25: Partial Solar Eclipse
Six days before Halloween, on Tuesday, the moon will move in front of the sun, causing a partial solar eclipse. Depending on where witnesses are positioned across the world, the sun will appear to have a sizable bite eaten out of it.
October 25: New Moon
The Hindu lunisolar year’s first new moon is regarded as its darkest night. Around the time of this new moon, from Saturday, October 22, to Wednesday, October 26, 2022, the Hindu festival of lights, which lasts five days, is observed. Diwali will be observed on the third day, which falls on Monday, October 24, or the fifteenth day of the Hindu calendar’s Kartika month.
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