Astronomy Astrophiz 201: Dr Ian Musgrave’s October SkyGuide

Astrophiz 201: Dr Ian Musgrave’s October SkyGuide

Listen: https://soundcloud.com/astrophiz/astronomy-astrophiz201-october-skyguide

Thumbnails of recent Comet Pics ( Full size pics at bottom of this page )
A. Kat Miller _ Brisbane QLD
B. Rusty Mcgrath – Grampians, Vic

Highlights:

Comet C/2023 A3 has been observed and photographed embedded in the eastern morning twilight over the past week, but is now (1 October) below the horizon and skimming behind the sun. 

The Comet emerges and becomes visible in the western evening twilight around 11 October, so we can look forward to catching it, and it could be quite bright before rapidly fading, but no one really knows how it will emerge after it’s closest approach to the sun. Could be spectacular or a fizzer …

So Ian’s best advice is to go out just after sunset after 11 October and check out your western horizon.

Watch this space!

Planetary Action:

Mainly moving to the evening skies.

Mercury is returning and will be quite high in the sky later in the month.

Saturn is easy to observe now in the mid-evening sky.

Jupiter can be seen in evening skies by mid month, but still best and prominent in morning skies.

Mars is getting brighter

The Orionids meteor shower will be significantly affected by the moon 😦

Moon Phases:

October 3 is the New Moon … Great for stargazing under dark skies.

October 11 is 1st Quarter moon 

October 17 is the Full moon

October 24 is the Last Quarter moon

Corona Borealis is setting, no bang yet

Ians Tangent:

All about Earth’s temporary 2nd Moon – 2024 PT5

… and Quasi-Moons.

Full size Comet pics: This one from Kat Miller in Qld

and this one from Rusty Mcgrath in Victoria