As the leaves around us turn brown and begin to fall, our night sky will only continue to provide us with exciting new opportunities to experience the wonder of astronomy firsthand. From asteroid missions to meteor showers, here are some of October’s most anticipated astronomical phenomena and launches.
October 5 is the planned launch date of NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission. Expected to enter into orbit in 2029, the Psyche spacecraft will spend twenty six months orbiting asteroid 16 Psyche as a way of researching a completely new world formed of metal instead of the typical rock or ice. 16 Psyche is theorized to consist of metal from the core of a planetesimal that existed very early on in our solar system. NASA is hoping that researching this asteroid up close can provide a more in-depth and accurate look at how cores of terrestrial planets, including Earth, are formed. The Psyche mission was originally scheduled to launch in September 2022 but was delayed due to difficulties with the flight software and testing equipment. The Psyche spacecraft will launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 10:38 AM (Eastern Time) on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
(An artistic interpretation of the Psyche spacecraft as it makes its way towards orbiting the metallic 16 Psyche asteroid. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU)
October 9 is the predicted peak of the Draconid meteor shower, though the shower itself will be active through October 6 to October 10. Unlike many other meteor showers, the Draconids are most visible in the evening or at dawn instead of throughout the night. The Draconids are expected to reach peak activity near 3:00 PM (Eastern Time), meaning that some of the best views will most likely occur near the dawn of October 9. This shower is only expected to produce up to ten meteors per hour, but in past years, the Draconids have had some very unusual nights. The Draconids meteor shower gave astronomers some of the most spectacular displays of the twentieth century when it produced thousands of meteors per hour in both 1933 and 1946. Enhanced rates of approximately three hundred meteors per hour were recorded in 1998, 2005, 2011, and 2012. It even provided an impressive rate of one hundred and fifty meteors visible per hour as recently as 2018. Though there are no predictions for a display as exciting as these on October 9, the possibility will surely keep astronomy fans watching throughout the duration of the shower.
October 20 is the predicted peak of the Orionid meteor shower, which will be active from September 26 to November 22. Visibility for the Orionid shower this year will be decent, with the moon only 37% illuminated, leaving plenty of chances for viewers to catch the sight of a few meteors between midnight and dawn. The Orionids have been known to produce up to eighty meteors an hour, though this rate has slowed down to closer to approximately twenty or thirty per hour in recent years and is expected to stay near those levels. The comet of origin for the Orionids meteor shower is 1P/Halley, also known as comet Halley, widely considered the most famous comet in history. Comet Halley is also the comet of origin for the Eta Aquarids meteor shower that occurred back in May.
(An image of the Orionid meteor shower. Image Credits: NASA/JPL)
October’s full moon, also known as the Hunter’s Moon, will reach peak illumination at 4:24 PM (Eastern Time) on October 28. Unlike full moons in other months, the Hunter’s Moon and the previous full moon, known as the Harvest Moon, can take place in either September or October. The Harvest Moon is always the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox, and the Hunter’s Moon is always the full moon that occurs one cycle later. Because of this, the Harvest Moon sometimes takes place in October, moving the Hunter’s Moon to November. The Hunter’s Moon is believed to have originated from a signal for hunters to finish up their yearly hunting and prepare for the colder winter months approaching. This moon has also been called the Falling Leaves Moon, the Drying Rice Moon, the Freezing Moon, and the Migrating Moon.
Whether you choose to observe the spectacular meteor showers on the 9th and 20th or support the launch of the Psyche asteroid observer, October will be sure to provide many opportunities for all local astronomy lovers.