October Night Sky
Sky events for this month & objects for observation and can be found here.
Click to enlarge. A larger printable version of this chart can also be found here.
The Nights Are Getting Longer, and Colder.
The Autumnal Equinox marks the first day of fall in the northern hemisphere, and arrived on Monday September 23, 2019. The Sun now will rise and set with increasing distance further south of East and West as we approach the Winter Solstice in December. The longer duration of night will reward you with many objects to observe with a moderately sized telescope:
The Autumnal Equinox marks the first day of fall in the northern hemisphere, and arrived on Monday September 23, 2019. The Sun now will rise and set with increasing distance further south of East and West as we approach the Winter Solstice in December. The longer duration of night will reward you with many objects to observe with a moderately sized telescope:
Saturn In View
Saturn will be well placed for observation for the next couple of months. Right now Saturn resides in the constellation Sagittarius in the southwest in the early evening. However, for northern hemisphere observers it is low in the sky along the ecliptic, and therefore is more susceptible to atmospheric turbulence for telescopic observation. Check the local "seeing" conditions for your area for the best times to observe. Saturn will present a view of its beautiful ring system even in the smallest telescope, and under conditions of excellent atmospheric steadiness, it is quite an amazing sight:
Saturn will be well placed for observation for the next couple of months. Right now Saturn resides in the constellation Sagittarius in the southwest in the early evening. However, for northern hemisphere observers it is low in the sky along the ecliptic, and therefore is more susceptible to atmospheric turbulence for telescopic observation. Check the local "seeing" conditions for your area for the best times to observe. Saturn will present a view of its beautiful ring system even in the smallest telescope, and under conditions of excellent atmospheric steadiness, it is quite an amazing sight:
Saturn at opposition 2017, photo by James Martin
The rings of Saturn
Saturn, like the Earth, has a rotational axis which is tilted with respect to its orbit around the Sun. This results in Saturn presenting different tilts towards observers on the Earth throughout a Saturnian year - 29 Earth years. Saturn will be angled to show its northern hemisphere at this opposition, and the rings will inclined at an angle of 24° to our line of sight, which is almost the maximum inclination they can have. This means they will be well presented:
Saturn, like the Earth, has a rotational axis which is tilted with respect to its orbit around the Sun. This results in Saturn presenting different tilts towards observers on the Earth throughout a Saturnian year - 29 Earth years. Saturn will be angled to show its northern hemisphere at this opposition, and the rings will inclined at an angle of 24° to our line of sight, which is almost the maximum inclination they can have. This means they will be well presented:
Saturn's ring system is truly one of the most beautiful things you can see in the night sky, so don't miss and opportunity to view Saturn through a telescope. Such views have caused awe and wonder for generations of would-be amateur astronomers and the public. One can never tire of seeing them.
