Tomorrow night's full moon, the Pumpkin Moon, appears within a few degrees of the brilliant planet Jupiter. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Aries, one of the smallest constellations in the zodiac.
Early in the evening the two are only 3 1/2 degrees apart. It is possible you might miss seeing Jupiter, as it is so close.
Astronomers report that if you are up late at night, the two celestial objects will get even closer. Their closest approach will be at 2:13 a.m., Sunday morning. Their predicted closeness will be 2 1/2 degrees.
We've got a meteor shower this weekend. The Orionid meteor shower takes place tomorrow night and will be best viewed after the first quarter moon sets in the west. That will happen close to midnight. And if skies are clear, we'll have a great show. You could see as many as 20 meteors in an hour of viewing. Look towards the eastern sky. The radiant, the place where the meteors appear to originate is above the constellation Orion's head; and to the left of the bright red star Betelgeuse. This is an autumn favorite.
Tomorrow, Saturday, is a big day for followers of the much expected annular eclipse. The eclipse for Martha's Vineyard residents will essentially be partial, a non event and almost unnoticeable. A short time after 1 p.m. only 20 per cent of the sun will be blocked by the moon. That will be difficult to detect. Eye safety is really the biggest issue associated with the eclipse. Do not, under any circumstances look up at the brilliant shining sun anytime. The possibility of permanent eye damage is real.
You've got to get up early in the morning to see a thin crescent moon shining near the brilliant planet Venus. The two are together on Tuesday morning. Take another look for a third bright celestial object, the bright star Regulus. All three are in the zodiacal constellation Leo.
The moon gets closer to the morning eastern horizon for the next two days. The moon disappears and then crosses in front of the sun for an annular eclipse on Saturday, October 14.
Tonight's full moon has two distinct features. It is the Harvest Moon, the closest full moon to the first day of autumn and it is also by distance close. The moon's proximity to the Earth is close and thus appears slightly larger. Most folks will not detect the enormity of its size, as it takes a real pro to measure its dimension.
Autumn arrives tomorrow morning at 2:50 a.m. The evidence of a changing season has been noticeable particularly in the last few weeks. Hurricane Lee sent a plethera of cool northerly breezes our way, significantly colder than what we've had. The hours of day and the hours of night are about the same.
Look up at the night sky and the evidence is so noticeable. Arcturus, the brightest star now in the western sky was higher during summer. Above the northwestern horizon the familiar constellation Big Dipper is positioned to cook a meal. The handle points to Arcturus.
The only evening planet this month is the ringed planet Saturn. You can find Saturn rising in the east an hour or so after sunset. The planet is the brightest "star" in the east. Saturn is in the zodiacal constellation Capricornus. As the evening progresses, the planet will rise somewhat.
The brightest evening planet is Jupiter but it rises in the east a good deal later, after 10 p.m. Jupiter is approaching the zodiacal constellation Taurus.
Mornings offer plenty of planet watching this month. In the wee hours of Monday morning take a look towards the eastern skyline. Well before sunrise you'll see the brilliant planet Venus and not too far away a thin crescent moon. Both are in the zodiacal constellation Cancer, a constellation we associate with more often with late winter.
If you are looking for a piece of autumn in the evening sky stay up late and go outside. The constellations of autumn are ready to display now around midnight.
The zodiacal constellation Aries appears high in the East. You'll see the gibbous moon right under the constellation late Sunday night.
Look again the following night, Monday night, and the moon appears near the bright planet Jupiter. There is no other celestial object that is as bright at that hour as Jupiter, other than of course the moon.
