Evening Planets:
Venus is very poorly placed and very low in the SW after Sunset. The planet is stuck in the bright glow of Sunset and will be very difficult to see. The planet sets about 45 minutes after Sunset. The planet Venus will be in this very poor position for the next two months.
Mercury suffers the same fate as Venus. The planet is just to the upper left of Venus and stuck in the bright glow of Sunset. Mercury will be extremely difficult to see at all through the entire month of October.
Jupiter is up in the SW as evening darkness falls. The planet loses a bit of brightness as the month progresses. The planet is low in the sky and sets about 3 hours after Sunset.
Saturn is up in the SSW as evening darkness falls. Saturn also dims down a bit as the month progresses. The planet sets around Midnight on the 1st of October and by the end of the month sets around 10 pm.
Morning Planet:
Mars finally breaks the void of planets in the morning sky. The planet may be briefly seen in the East around mid – month. The planet is dim so it will be quickly over powered by the brightening Dawn sky. The planet rises about 1.5 hrs. before Sunrise.
2 Oct Waxing Crescent Moon upper right of bright star Antares, Dusk
3 Oct Crescent Moon upper left and close to Jupiter, Dusk
5 Oct 1st Quarter Moon lower left of Saturn, Dusk
17 Oct Waning Gibbous Moon left of bright star Antares, Evening
21 Oct Last Quarter Moon forms a rough line with bright stars Pollux and Castor, Dawn
21 – 22 Oct Orionids Meteor Shower
26 Oct Very thin Crescent Moon upper left of Mars, Dawn (This will be difficult to see)
29 Oct Waxing Crescent Moon upper right of Venus, Dusk (This will be difficult to see)
31 Oct Crescent Moon upper left of Jupiter, Dawn
Orionids Meteor Shower:
On the night of 21 -22 October, the Orionids Meteor Shower will happen. This is a rather weak meteor shower that will have some lunar interference. The evening hours are Moon free but after Midnight; the Moon will rise and interfere with seeing some of the dimmest meteors. About 10 meteors per hour are predicted in the evening. The morning meteors rates are predicted to be even less than the evening counterparts. The Orionids meteors are very fast and occasionally leave a smokey train behind them. This weak meteor shower is not that favorable for our viewing area.
Courtesy :
Gary T. Nowak
Vermont Astronomical Society