October 2013 Celestial Highlights

Roanoke Valley's 

October Sky

Early October - 9:00 p.m. (EDT)

Late October - 8:00 p.m. (EDT)

MILKY WAY: The glow of the Milky Way stretches from the southwest to the northeast at 8:30 p.m. each night. Observe when there is no moon in the sky (from September 29 through October 9 and after October 22) and from a dark location away from city lights to best appreciate this glorious sight. 

Orionid Meteor Shower: October 21 after 11:30 p.m. in the east. Less than 20 meteors per hour can be seen because of the bright waning gibbous moon.

Visible Planets:

MERCURY lost in the solar glare.

VENUS very low in the west 60 minutes after sunset all month.  Crescent moon above Venus on October 8. 

MARS rises before 3 a.m. all month. Close to the moon on October 1 and October 29. Next to the similarly bright Regulus low in the east on October 15 at 5 a.m.  

JUPITER  rises in the east-northeast before 12:30 a.m. at the end of September and by 8 10:30 p.m. at the end of October. Near the moon on October 25.

SATURN very low in the west-southwest after sunset. Lost in the solar glare after October 5.

Use the Big Dipper to locate:

The North Star

Arcturus

Deneb

Cassiopeia

To use this map:

Face south and hold the map above your head. Place the zenith directly overhead. The stars on the map will match those in the sky.

Such is our view from Earth...