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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

October 2006 Sky Highlights

Wednesday, October 4
Uranus is 0.5 degrees north of the Moon

Friday, October 7
Full Moon

Tuesday, October 10
Moon is 0.7 degrees north of the Pleiades

Friday, October 13
Last Quarter Moon

Monday, October 16
Saturn is 2 degrees south of the Moon

Thursday, October 19
Juno is 0.3 degrees north of the Moon

Friday, October 20
Zodiacal light visible for the next two weeks in the eastern sky before morning twilight.

Sunday, October 22
New Moon

Tuesday, October 24
Mercury is 1.4 degrees north of the Moon

Wednesday, October 25
Antares is 0.4 degrees north of the Moon

Sunday, October 29
Daylight Saving Time ends

Sunday, October 29
First Quarter Moon

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

October 2006 AstroCalendar

10/3 Neptune is 3.0 degrees north-northwest of the Moon at 9:00

10/5 Uranus is 0.45 degree north-northwest of the Moon at 0:00 - an
occultation takes place in most of central Africa and the southern
portion of South America; asteroid 1 Ceres, now also known as a dwarf
planet, is stationary at 20:00; the Moon is at the ascending node
(longitude 355.4 degrees) at 22:14

10/6 A minimum lunar libration of 0.7 degree occurs at 5:00; the Moon
is at perigee, subtending 33'26" from a distance of 357,411 km, at
14:00 - since this perigee is the third closest of 2006 and occurs
only some 12 hours before the Full Moon, extra large tides will
result

10/7 Full Moon, known as the Hunter's or Blood Moon and this year's
Harvest Moon, occurs at 3:13

10/8 The peak of the Draconid or Giacobinid meteor shower (rate is
variable) occurs at 23:00

10/10 The 86% illuminated waning gibbous Moon occults many of the
stars in the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades) - the midpoint of
the event is approximately 5:00; the Moon is 0.75 degree northwest of
the center of M45 at 6:00; the Moon is 10.5 degrees north of the
first magnitude star Aldebaran at 22:00

10/12 A maximum lunar libration of 10.4 degrees occurs at 11:00

10/14 Last Quarter Moon occurs at 0:26; The Moon is 2.1 degrees south-
southwest of the first magnitude star Pollux at 5:00; Mars is 2.5
degrees north-northeast of the first magnitude star Spica at 17:00

10/15 The Moon is 2.3 degrees north-northeast of the bright open
cluster M44 (Praesepe or the Beehive) in Cancer at 9:00

10/16 Saturn is 2 degrees south of the Moon at 14:00; Venus is 1.6
degrees north of the first magnitude star Antares at 18:00

10/17 Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation (24.8 degrees) at
4:00; the Moon is 1.8 degrees north-northeast of the first magnitude
star Regulus at 6:00

10/19 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 175.2 degrees) at
9:34; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'26" from a distance of
406,074 km, at 14:00 ; Venus is 3.2 degrees north-northeast of Spica
at 15:00; the Moon is 0.33 degree south-southeast of asteroid 3 Juno
at 18:00 - an occultation takes place in southern South America and
the Hawaiian Islands; a minimum lunar libration of 0.9 degree occurs
at 20:00

10/21 Mercury is at its greatest heliocentric latitude south (-7.0
degrees) at 4:00; the peak of the Orionid meteor shower (10 to
20/hour) occurs at 15:00; the Moon is 0.51 degree south of Spica at
20:00

10/22 Venus is 3.9 degrees north-northeast of the Moon at 1:00;
Venus, Mars, and the Moon lie within a 4 degree diameter circle at
3:00; New Moon (lunation 1037) occurs at 5:14; Mars is 3.3 degrees
north-northeast of the Moon at 5:00; Mercury (magnitude 0.1) is 3.9
degrees south-southwest of Jupiter (magnitude -1.7) at 13:00

10/23 Mars is in conjunction with the Sun at 7:00

10/24 Jupiter is 5.2 degrees north-northeast of the Moon at 5:00;
Mercury is 1.3 degrees north-northeast of the Moon at 7:00

10/25 Venus is 0.67 degree north-northeast of Mars at 7:00; the Moon
is 0.48 degree south-southeast of Antares at 14:00

10/26 Comet 4P/Faye reaches opposition at 4:00

10/27 A maximum lunar libration of 9.1 degrees occurs at 6:00; Venus
is in superior conjunction with the Sun at 17:00

10/28 Mercury is stationary in right ascension, with retrograde
(westward) motion to commence, at 0:00

10/29 Neptune is stationary in right ascension, with direct or
prograde (eastward) motion to commence, at 4:00; Daylight Saving Time
(DST) ends at 6:00; First Quarter Moon occurs at 21:25

10/30 Neptune is 2.9 degrees north-northwest of the Moon at 17:00

10/31 The Sun enters Libra (longitude 217.62 degrees) at 5:00

The Moon reaches its greatest northern declination on October 12 (+29
degrees) and its greastest southern declination on October 27 (-29
degrees). Luna occults M45 (the Pleiades) on the evening of October
9. Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this
month are available at www.lunar-
occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm

During the first part of the month, the zodiacal light may be visible
from dark locations in the eastern sky before dawn.

The planets on October 1: Mercury (-0.3 magnitude, 5.4", 83%
illuminated, Libra), Venus (-3.8 magnitude, 9.8", 99% illuminated),
Mars (1.7 magnitude, 3.6", 100% illuminated, Virgo), Jupiter (-1.8
magnitude, 32.2", 100% illuminated, Libra), Saturn (0.5 magnitude,
16.8", 100% illuminated, Leo), Uranus (5.8 magnitude, 3.6", 100%
illuminated, Aquarius), Neptune (7.9 magnitude, 2.3", 100%
illuminated, Capricornus), and Pluto (+14.0 magnitude, 0.1", 100%
illuminated, Serpens Cauda).

Because Mercury undergoes an unfavorable eastern elongation this
month for northern observers, it sets soon after the Sun. The
Messenger of the Gods is in conjunction with Jupiter on October 25
and October 28.

After the early part of the month, Venus lies on the far side of the
Sun and cannot be seen again until early December.

Mars is in conjunction in October and is likewise not readily
observable until December.

Jupiter is visible for a short time after sunset in early October. It
then disappears into the glare of the Sun, reaching conjunction on
October 22. The King of the Planets is positioned to the upper right
of Mercury in the west-southwest at twilight.

At the end of October, Saturn rises in east-northeast by 12:30 a.m.
Titan, its eighth-magnitude satellite, is due north of the Ringed
Planet on the morning of October 16. It's due south of Saturn on the
mornings of October 8 and October 24.

During the first half of October, Uranus is within a half of a degree
of the 3.7-magnitude star Lambda Aquarii.

This month Neptune is located about half way between 4.3-magnitude
Iota Capricorni and 5.3-magnitude 29 Capricorni.

Poorly placed for telescopic observation, Pluto is located in the
southwestern sky during evening twilight.

Asteroid 7 Iris shines at 7.5 magnitude as it travels along the
border of Taurus and Aries.

During October, the recently discovered comet C/2006 M4 (SWAN)
travels eastward through Canes Venatici, northern Bootes, and into
the western portion of Hercules. It may be as bright as sixth or
seventh magnitude. On the evening of October 17, the comet is just
north of Gamma Bootis. It is about three degrees south of the
globular cluster M13 on October 28.

The periodic comet 4P/Faye glides by the tenth magnitude elliptical
galaxy NGC 821 as it passes through Aries.