October is upon us, and with it comes another series of nights filled with cosmic wonders that will dazzle even the most experienced observers! This is because Set with meteor showers, the Moon, the dance of the planets and even a super comet It promises to turn the night sky into a stage for real celestial shows!
The most important astronomical event of the month is undoubtedly the passage of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). Discovered by the Chinese Tsuchinshan Observatory in January 2023, this comet is the best comet of the year and is also considered the “comet of the century” due to the great expectation of a significant increase in its brightness.
It is estimated that the comet is This light, visible with the help of instruments from Brazil, will reach its maximum brightness on October 12 and present a rare and unforgettable show.
Astronomers believe C/2023 A3 will be visible to the naked eye on this date, and a large, bright tail will be visible trailing the sky, especially in areas with low light pollution. For amateur astronomers, this will be a can’t-miss moment because it is rare for a comet to reach this brightness.
Another big event will be the biggest Super Moon of the year, which will take place on the night of October 17. A supermoon occurs when a full moon hits perigee, the point in its orbit closest to Earth, making it appear larger and brighter in the sky.
On this date, the Moon will be approximately 356,000 kilometers away and will appear approximately 8% larger and 15.7% brighter than ordinary full Moons, illuminating the night spectacularly. A great opportunity for photography enthusiasts to capture stunning images!
October nights will also be marked by two meteor showers: Draconids and Orionids. The first is a subtle and often difficult-to-observe phenomenon that occurs between October 6th and 10th each year, and this year it will peak on the night of the 8th and in the early morning hours of the 9th. Second, Orionidas. It will be a remarkable event.
It is a meteor shower caused by debris left behind by Halley’s Comet that occurs annually from October 2 to November 7, reaching its peak of maximum activity between the evening of October 20 and the early morning of October 21 this year. Up to 20 meteors per hour.
In these events, meteors will emit from the Dragon constellation and Orion constellation respectively, but they can appear anywhere in the sky and remain within the observation area at any point in Brazil.
Using applications such as Carta Celeste, Stellarium and SkyMap are great allies for observing and identifying objects in the sky!
Calendar of main astronomical events for the month October 2024
02/10: New moon
05/10: Moon and Venus conjunction
08 and 09/10: Maximum activity of the Draconid meteor shower
10/10: In the First Quarter of the Month
10/12: Comet C/2023 A3 reached its maximum brightness
10/14: Moon and Saturn conjunction; Moon occlusion of Saturn
10/17: supermoon
10/20 and 21: Maximum activity of the Orionid meteor shower
10/21: Moon and Jupiter conjunction
10/23: Conjunction between Moon and Mars
10/24: In the First Quarter of the Month
Clear skies and good observations!
Always stay up to date with all the celestial spectacles of the month on TecMundo and take the opportunity to share the astronomical calendar for October with your friends on social media!
Source: Tec Mundo
I’m Blaine Morgan, an experienced journalist and writer with over 8 years of experience in the tech industry. My expertise lies in writing about technology news and trends, covering everything from cutting-edge gadgets to emerging software developments. I’ve written for several leading publications including Gadget Onus where I am an author.
