As the summer season comes to a close and autumn begins in the Northern Hemisphere, there will be plenty of exciting observational opportunities for space lovers to enjoy. From two separate meteor showers to Earth’s new mini moon, here are some of October’s most anticipated astronomy events.
An annual solar eclipse will be taking place at 4:40 PM (Eastern Time) on October 2. However, this eclipse will only be visible to the approximate 175,000 people who live in its path, which will pass over Easter Island, some southern parts of Argentina and Chile, and Hawaii. This eclipse will occur within the second eclipse season of 2024. Two to three eclipse seasons can take place each year with a period of just under six months between them, with two to three eclipses possibly visible each season. This specific eclipse is part of the same season as last month’s partial lunar eclipse, which took place on September 18. The first eclipse season of the year passed in early spring with the penumbral lunar eclipse of March 25 and the total solar eclipse of April 8.
For a short time only, our Earth will be acquiring a temporary “second moon.” This new moon, which is actually an asteroid that goes by the name of 2024 PT5, will partially orbit our planet from September 29 to November 25 before disappearing back into space. Unfortunately, it will be very difficult to view this mini-moon even with the use of a strong telescope, as it measures only 10 metres in length, which is the approximate length of two cars parked end-to-end.
The Draconid meteor shower is predicted to peak between October 8 and October 9, though this shower has a relatively shorter period than many others and will only be active at all between October 6 and October 10. Though astronomers have considered the Draconids to be one of the less interesting observation opportunities as of late, they have also provided some of the most spectacular showers to date. In both 1933 and 1946, there were thousands of meteors visible per hour during the Draconids shower, which is one of the most plentiful hourly rates of the 20th century. Similar outbursts took place in 2011 and 2012. Unfortunately, this rate has dramatically decreased in the years since, and it is likely that only 10 to 15 meteors will be visible per hour this October.
The next micromoon will occur on October 3. A micromoon can be either a Full Moon or a New Moon (this micromoon will be a Micro New Moon) that takes place when the direct center of the Moon is more than 405,000 kilometres from the center of the Earth (near apogee, which is the furthest point from Earth in a celestial object’s orbit). Micromoons are the opposite of supermoons, which happen when the direct center of the Moon is less than 360,000 kilometres from the center of the Earth (near perigee, which is the closest point to Earth in a celestial object’s orbit). Micromoons tend to make up two or three full moon cycles annually, while supermoons occupy another three or four. Data has shown that the Earth tends to experience variations in the tides during both events, though an untrained observer would likely not notice any difference in the size or brightness of the Moon during a micromoon or a supermoon.
The full moon of the month, or the Hunter’s Moon, will be visible on October 17. Unlike many other annual full moons that have set names, the Hunter’s moon is date-dependent. The Hunter’s Moon always follows the Harvest Moon, but the Harvest Moon can occur in September or October depending on the date of the autumnal equinox that year, meaning that the Hunter’s Moon will always be in either October or November. Since this year’s Harvest Moon took place on September 17, the Hunter’s Moon will rise in October. Some alternatives for the Hunter’s Moon include the Drying Rice Moon, the Freezing Moon, the Falling Leaves Moon, and the Migrating Moon.
The second meteor shower of the month, or the Orionid meteor shower, will reach its peak on October 20. The shower will have a higher hourly rate with up to 20 meteors visible per hour and is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful meteor showers of each year. The Orionids are one of two showers to have been created by the debris of Comet Halley (the second being the Eta Aquarids, which annually take place in May). Comet Halley, which is more commonly referred to as Halley’s Comet and is arguably the most famous comet in history, will next be visible from Earth in 2061 after it completes its 76-year revolution around the Sun.
Overall, October will provide plenty of opportunities to experience fascinating astronomical phenomena firsthand. Whether you choose to view the annual solar eclipse or the Hunter’s Moon, there is something in the night sky for everyone this month.