On Topic:Astro News

Friday, October 7

The waxing crescent Moon shines near Antares in twilight.

Saturday, October 8

There's a chance of a brief but strong outburst of the
Draconid meteor shower for an hour or two around
17h Universal Time on this date. The timing means the
observing prospects will be best from Eastern Europe and
Asia. The shower, also known as the Giacobinids,
originates from Comet Giacobini-Zinner, which passed
near Earth's October 8th point in orbit just 92 days ago.

Sunday, October 9

Altair is the brightest star high in the south after
dark these evenings. Look for its fainter companion star
Tarazed (Gamma Aquilae) hardly more than a finger's width
to its upper right. They are 17 and 325 light-years
distant, respectively.

Monday, October 10

First-quarter Moon.

Tuesday, October 11

The naked-eye eclipsing variable star Algol should be in
one of its periodic dimmings, magnitude 3.4 instead of
its usual 2.1, for a couple hours centered on 12:23 a.m.
Wednesday morning EDT.

Wednesday, October 12

This month the Great Square of Pegasus balances on one
corner in the eastern sky at nightfall.

Thursday, October 13

Look far below the Moon this evening for the
lonely Autumn Star, Fomalhaut.

This Week's Planet Roundup

Mercury is hidden in the glow of sunset.

Venus shines brightly in the southwest during dusk.

Mars is now in the midst of a grand apparition! It rises
fiery orange-yellow in the east around the end of twilight,
is high in the east by 11 or midnight, and shines high in
the southwest at dawn.

Jupiter is lost in the sunset.

Saturn rises around 1 or 2 a.m. and shines high in the east
by dawn.

Uranus and Neptune are well placed in the south during evening.

Pluto is disappearing into the glow of sunset



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