Astronomical Events This Month: 2 Super Bright Comets, Solar Eclipse, and More
October is shaping up to be an unforgettable month for stargazers! This month has everything: a solar eclipse, two spectacular comets, the year's closest Supermoon, dazzling conjunctions, and more. With so many celestial events happening, all you need is our free Sky Tonight app to easily track celestial objects. Whether you're a seasoned observer or a beginner, October offers the perfect opportunity to explore the night sky. Let's dive into what October has in store for us!
Contents
- Astronomical events in October 2024
- Planets in October 2024
- Constellations in October
- Annular solar eclipse in October 2024
- Moon near planets in October 2024
- Full Moon in October 2024: the biggest Supermoon
- Meteor showers in October 2024: Orionids are peaking
- Comets in October 2024: see two “big” comets
- How to navigate the night sky?
- Bottom line: celestial events in October 2024
Astronomical events in October 2024
Event dates are listed in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). For your location, they may differ due to different time zones. To find out the exact time and date of an event in your city, use the Sky Tonight app.
- October 2: New Moon; annular solar eclipse (mag = 0.933). 🌟
- October 5: Moon passes 3° from Venus (mag -3.9); October Camelopardalids’ peak (ZHR = 5).
- October 7: Moon passes 0°12' from Antares (mag 1.1).
- October 8: Draconids’ peak (ZHR = 5).
- October 10: First Quarter Moon; Southern Taurids’ early peak (ZHR = 5).
- October 11: Delta Aurigids’ peak (ZHR = 2).
- October 12: C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) (mag ≈-2) passes perigee. 🌟
- October 14: Moon passes 0°06' from Saturn (mag 0.7). 🌟
- October 15: Moon passes 0°31' from Neptune (mag 7.8).
- October 17: Full Moon (Supermoon, the biggest one in 2024). 🌟
- October 18: Epsilon Geminids’ peak (ZHR = 3).
- October 19: Moon passes 0°06' from the Pleiades star cluster (mag 1.2) and 4°17' from Uranus (mag 5.7).
- October 21: Orionids’ peak (ZHR = 20) 🌟; Moon passes 5°48' from Jupiter (mag -2.6). 🌟
- October 23: Moon passes 1°42' from Pollux (mag 1.2), 4°12' from Mars (mag 0.2).
- October 24: Last Quarter Moon; Leonis Minorids’ peak (ZHR = 2); Moon passes 3°18' from the Beehive star cluster (mag 3.1).
- October 25: Venus (mag -4.0) passes 3° from Antares (mag 1.1).
- October 26: Moon passes 2°54' from Regulus (mag 1.4).
- October 28: Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) (mag ≈-7) passes perihelion.
*The highlighted events are the outstanding events of the month.
About magnitude: the faintest magnitude for stars and planets visible to the naked eye in cities with moderate light pollution is about 4. The limiting magnitude of an optical device depends on its specification but rarely exceeds 11.
Planets in October 2024
Northern Hemisphere
Mercury (mag -0.5) stays close to the Sun this month, making it difficult to spot. It barely rises above the southwestern horizon in Libra during the evenings near the end of the month.
Venus (mag -4.0) is much easier to see, shining brightly in the evening sky near the southwestern horizon in Libra. By mid-month, it moves into Scorpius.
Mars (mag 0.5) appears in the morning skies in Gemini.
Jupiter (mag -2.4) is visible both at night and in the early morning in Taurus.
Saturn (mag 0.8) rises in the evening in Aquarius.
With binoculars, you can catch faint Uranus (mag 5.6) all night in Taurus and even fainter Neptune (mag 7.8) in Pisces during the evening and night.
Southern Hemisphere
Mercury (mag -0.5) becomes visible starting mid-month, low above the western horizon in the evening in Libra.
Venus (mag -4.0) is bright in the western sky in Libra during the evenings and moves to Scorpius around mid-month.
Mars (mag 0.5) appears in the morning skies in the north in Gemini.
Jupiter (mag -2.4) can be seen both at night and in the morning in Taurus.
Saturn (mag 0.8) rises in the evening in Aquarius.
Uranus (mag 5.6) is visible at night and in the early morning in Taurus.
Neptune (mag 7.8) shines faintly all night in Pisces.
P.S. To spot fainter planets, like Uranus and Neptune, binoculars or a telescope will be necessary.
Constellations in October
In the Northern Hemisphere, October is the best time to observe Cassiopeia, Pegasus, and Lacerta.
In the Southern Hemisphere, well-placed constellations in October include Aquarius, Piscis Austrinus, and Grus.
Tracking down small constellations like Lacerta or Piscis Austrinus can be challenging, especially for beginners. But with a stargazing app like Sky Tonight, navigating the night sky becomes much easier!
Simply open the app, enter the constellation’s name, and tap the target icon next to it. The app will instantly show you where the constellation is based on your location. Need more details? Just tap on the object’s name to learn all about it.
Learn more: Best constellations season-by-season for the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
Annular solar eclipse in October 2024
On October 2, 2024, an annular solar eclipse will take place. During the eclipse, annularity — when the Sun forms a stunning “ring of fire” around the Moon — will be seen along a narrow path that includes Chile, southern Argentina, and parts of the Pacific Ocean.
Learn more about this event in our dedicated article, where we provide the full eclipse schedule, highlight the best viewing locations, and explain how to easily track the eclipse.
Don’t miss it! The next annular eclipse won’t occur until February 17, 2026, and will be visible only from Antarctica.
To ensure you never miss another eclipse, check out our infographic featuring the five upcoming eclipses. It covers everything you need to know, including dates, timelines, visibility maps, and the best viewing locations.
Moon near planets in October 2024
One of the easiest celestial events to observe is the conjunction of the Moon with a bright planet. All you need to enjoy this event is the approximate rise time of the celestial objects and your own eyes! In October, there are two conjunctions you won’t want to miss.
On the evening of October 14, look up to see Saturn, the ringed planet, shining near the almost fully illuminated Moon. You’ll easily spot Saturn — it will outshine nearby stars with its brighter, golden hue. Observers in Asia and Africa will even see the Moon pass in front of Saturn.
On the night of October 20-21, keep an eye out for Jupiter near the almost Full Moon. As the second brightest planet in the night sky, Jupiter will easily stand out against the stars. Both the Moon and Jupiter will rise in the evening and remain visible all night long.
For more upcoming Moon-planet conjunctions, check out our dedicated article. If you’re having trouble identifying bright objects near the Moon, try the free astronomy app Sky Tonight — it’ll show you the name of any object right on your phone’s screen!
Full Moon in October 2024: the biggest Supermoon
The Full Moon in October 2024, also known as the Hunter's Moon, will occur on October 17 and will be a Supermoon, appearing larger and brighter due to its close proximity to Earth. This will be the closest Supermoon of the year, making it the biggest and brightest.
Traditionally, the Hunter's Moon marked a time for hunters to use the bright moonlight to track prey late into the evening. This year, it will shine in the constellation Pisces and remain fully illuminated for about three nights.
For more details, visit our dedicated article.
Meteor showers in October 2024: Orionids are peaking
This month, seven meteor showers will reach their maximum activity:
- October Camelopardalids on October 5;
- Draconids on October 8;
- Southern Taurids on October 10;
- Delta Aurigids on October 11;
- Epsilon Geminids on October 18;
- Orionids on October 21
- Leonis Minorids on October 24.
In 2024, the International Meteor Organization predicts that only the Orionids will produce a significant number of meteors per hour (≥20) during their peak. However, moonlight will heavily impact visibility, as the Full Moon occurs just three days earlier. There is a trick to minimize the influence of the bright moonlight: try positioning yourself so that a tall tree or building blocks the Moon from your view, allowing you to focus on the meteors.
For more about meteor showers this month, read our guide on meteors in October.
Comets in October 2024: see two “big” comets
October 2024 is probably the best month for comet lovers in a very long time since we’ll see not only one but two naked-eye comets! How rare is that?
First of all, the long-anticipated C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), will put on its best display in October 2024.
When to see: Look for the comet in the early evenings, starting around October 9. The comet will be very close the Sun, and if we’re lucky, it could reach a magnitude of about -5.0, making it visible even in sunlight ( to careful observers with telescopes and binoculars). If not, try again the next day, as it will move farther from the Sun in the sky each evening. Don’t delay — C/2023 A3 will be easily visible to the naked eye until around October 14. See the dedicated article for a more detailed forecast.
How to find: Look towards the western horizon. To find out the precise location of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, especially if you’re not a pro, use the free Sky Tonight app. Just select the comet from the list in the search window and the app will show you its current position in the sky. You can also use the Time Machine feature (at the top of the screen) to see when the comet will be farthest from the Sun at your location.
At the end of October, we'll get another bright comet — the newly discovered C/2024 S1 (ATLAS). First seen on September 27, 2024, comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will pass its perihelion on October 28, 2024. This comet belongs to the Kreutz family, like C/1965 S1 (Ikeya-Seki) or C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy). Kreutz comets are famous for coming super close to the Sun at perihelion, heating up to 1000+°C and often becoming incredibly bright for a short time.
According to early predictions, C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will become as bright as -7 magnitude around perihelion (even brighter than Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). If so, it'll be visible in the daytime sky close to the Sun!
The best conditions for viewing the comet will be in the Southern Hemisphere. However, there is a possibility that the comet's bright dust tail will appear in the morning sky in the Northern Hemisphere during the days of the comet's approach to the Sun.
Keep an eye on C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) in the Sky Tonight app, where it’s already available. Just type the comet’s name into the search and tap the target icon next to the corresponding result.
One more comet to catch in October 2024 is 13P/Olbers. Although much fainter (mag 10), it will be visible through small telescopes (3″ or larger) from both hemispheres, low above the western horizon. On October 14, it will pass close to C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in the sky, giving you a chance to spot two comets together!
How to navigate the night sky?
To find stars, planets, and other celestial objects in the sky, use a convenient tool: the Sky Tonight app. It is an interactive map of the sky that you can use on your phone or tablet. The best part? You don't even need the internet once it's on your phone, so it's perfect for outdoor adventures like camping and hiking.
All you have to do is open the app and point your device toward the sky, and the app will identify constellations, stars, and more for you. Plus, if you're really keen on mastering the night sky, there are some helpful videos that can teach you how to use Sky Tonight.
Bottom line: celestial events in October 2024
In October 2024, there are some exciting celestial events to watch out for. These include an annular solar eclipse (often called a "Ring of Fire"), two bright comets visible to the naked eye, and the biggest Supermoon of the year. To help you explore these events in the sky, you can use the Sky Tonight astronomy app. It's your handy guide to the stars!
