Oct. 19 Eridanus
Eridanus, the river, flows into the evening sky this month. This
long, winding trail of stars begins to rise around 9pm, but it’s so
long that its easternmost stars don’t clear the horizon until about
midnight.
Oct. 19 Eridanus
Eridanus, the river, flows into the evening sky this month. This long, winding trail of stars begins to rise around 9pm, but it’s so long that its easternmost stars don’t clear the horizon until about midnight.
Oct. 20 Orionid Meteors
The Orionid meteor shower is at its best tonight. To see its “shooting stars,” find a dark viewing site away from city lights. The Moon sets by around midnight, so it won’t interfere with the show.
Oct. 21 Lucky Stars
To “thank your lucky stars,” look toward the constellation Aquarius, which is well up in the east by early evening. The names of three of its stars – Sadalmelik, Sadalsuud, and Sadachbia – are from Arabic names that mean “luck’ or “lucky.”
October 22 Big Stories
Big constellations with big stories populate the late-evening eastern sky. Around 11pm, look for Taurus, the bull; Cetus, the whale or sea monster; and Eridanus, the celestial river. They all cover large regions of the sky and include several bright stars.
Oct. 23 Lunar History
The Moon tonight cruises through Aquarius, a constellation associated with water. Many of the Moon’s features are associated with water, too. The dark patches that form the “man in the Moon”0 are known as seas or oceans. But they are made of volcanic rock, not water.
Oct. 24 Morning Lineup
About an hour before sunrise, look high in the south for the planet Saturn, which looks like a bright golden star. The brighter planet Venus, the “morning star” is well up in the east. And below Venus is Jupiter, another brilliant planet.
Oct. 25 The Moon
It is easy to forget that the Moon is a world in its own right, marked by impressive surface features. For example, the gray patch that forms the right eye of the “man in the moon” is a hardened lava flow called Mare Imbrium. It’s bigger than Germany.
By the University of Texas McDonald Observatory
