The Night Sky in October

Abstract

NEW moon occurs on Oct. 2d. 19h. 42m., U.T., and full moon on Oct. 18d. 02h. 23m. The following conjunctions with the moon take place : Oct. 4d. llh., Mercury 4° S.; Oct. 5d. 18h., Mars 1° N. ; Oct. 8d. 02h., Jupiter 4° N. ; Oct. 27d. 17h., Saturn 4° S. ; Oct. 29d. 07h., Venus 2° S. ; Oct. 31d. 00h., Mercury 0·5°N. In addition to these conjunctions with the moon, Venus is in conjunction with Regulus on Oct. 5d. 21h., Venus 0·4° S., and on Oct. 8d. 20h. Venus is in conjunction with Saturn, Venus 1·1° S. Mercury, in inferior conjunction on Oct. 20 and stationary on Oct. 28, is unfavourably placed for observation during the greater portion of the month. On Oct. 31 the planet rises 1h. 40m. before the sun and can be seen in tlie eastern sky. Venus rises at 2h., 2h. 40m. and 3h. 15m. at the beginning, middle and end of the month, respectively, and can be seen in the morning hours, stellar magnitude —3·6, the visible illuminated portion of disk varying between 0·64 and 0·74. Mars sets a little more than an hour after the sun during October and is not well placed for observation. Jupiter sets at 20h. 36m., 19h. 50m. and 18h. 57m. on Oct. 1, 15 and 31, respectively, and is visible in the western sky (stellar magnitude —1·6) for some time after sunset. Saturn rises at 2h. 30m. and 0h. 50m. at the beginning and end of the month, and can be seen in the morning hours, stellar magnitude 0·9. Occultations of stars brighter than magnitude 6 are as follow : Oct. 14d. 21h. 47·8m., Ψ3 Aquar. (D) ; Oct. 21d. 00h. 16·Om., 32 Taur. (R); Oct. 25d. 03h. 47·2m., ω Cane. (R) ; D and R refer to disappearance and reappearance, respectively, and the latitude of Greenwich is assumed. The Orionid meteors are due about October 16-24, but moonlight will partly interfere with observation of this shower.