October’s skywatching highlights: the “Ring of Fire” eclipse and the Hunter’s Moon

Along a path extending from Oregon through the Four Corners region to the south Texas coast, viewers will see the moon gradually covering the sun until the dark lunar disk surrounds the fiery ring.

Although only those who live along the center line of the eclipse will see the ring of fire, all residents of the lower 48 states will be able to see at least a partial solar eclipse. The closer to the midline, the more the Moon blocks the Sun’s disk.

In Washington, the partial eclipse begins at noon on the 14th, and the maximum eclipse occurs at 1:19 p.m. ET. At this time, the Moon will obscure about 30 percent of the Sun’s disk. The eclipse ends at 2:39 p.m

Because the sun is not completely obscured in this eclipse, specialized eye protection is required to avoid permanent damage when viewing it.

If you want to see the full spectacle of a total solar eclipse where the Moon completely obscures the Sun and reveals the faint glow of the Sun The atmosphere of the sun or coronaYou just have to wait until spring. On April 8, 2024, the next Great American Eclipse will cross the central and northeastern United States.

Riding with Kamar Al Sayyad

The moon begins the month by rising in the late evening near Jupiter. During the first week of October, you’ll find our natural satellite passing through the bright stars of the winter constellations before moving to the rising stars in the spring sky.

The moon disappears from the sky in the middle of the month when a solar eclipse occurs. But it waxes back to its full phase, which falls on the 28th at 4:24 PM Eastern time. Early risers on the morning of the 5th can see the Moon near the bright star Pollux, while the Moon pays a visit to the dazzling planet Venus in the pre-dawn sky on the 10th. The Moon visits Saturn on the evening of the 23rd and returns to Jupiter on the 28th.

The October 28 full moon is widely known as the Hunter’s Moon, and it shares the same orbital geometry that produced last month’s Harvest Moon. Again, the shallow angle of the Moon’s orbit relative to the eastern horizon causes two consecutive moonrises at about the same time. Since the fields have already been harvested, there is little cover for game birds and animals, and hunters take advantage of the rising moon to pursue their quarry.

The autumn sky brings an interesting array of constellations that all represent characters in one of the great myths of ancient Greek mythology. You will find these constellations high in the northeastern sky at around 10 pm in mid-October.

Start your search by finding a compact group of stars that resemble the letter W. These stars represent Cassiopeia, the legendary queen of Ethiopia who was consumed by her vanity. She spent most of her time staring at herself in the mirror and bragged that her beauty surpassed that of the mermaids, the demigod daughters of Neptune. Naturally, this boasting by mere mortals ruffled some feathers, so Neptune He demanded appropriate compensation in the form of sacrifice. But the victim would be Cassiopeia’s daughter Andromeda, who was chained to a rock to be devoured by the sea monster Cetus.

All seemed lost until the hero Perseus arrived on his flying horse Pegasus. Perseus had just sent the ferocious Gorgon Medusa, who had snake hair and could turn people to stone with her gaze. Perseus beheaded Medusa by looking at her reflection in his polished armor. Upon finding Andromeda bound, Perseus swung Medusa’s severed head towards Cetus, who instantly turned into a giant boulder. Andromeda and Perseus ride Pegasus to a happy ending, and Cassiopeia learns a valuable lesson in humility.

The stars of Cassiopeia stand above a wishbone-shaped star cluster representing Perseus. If you watch closely over the course of a few nights, you may notice that the second brightest star in Perseus appears dimmer every 2.86 days. Known as Algol, it represents the evil eye of Medusa, which continues to wink at us over thousands of years.

In the upper southeast you will find a large, square-shaped constellation representing Pegasus, and between Pegasus and Perseus you will find two “strings” of stars originating from the star in the upper left corner of the square. These are the chains that bound Andromeda to her imminent fate.

As for Cetus, it occupies a somewhat star-poor region low on the southeastern horizon, but it has a counterpart on Earth. The rock it became is the famous Rock of Gibraltar.

Saturn and Jupiter light up the night while Venus welcomes early risers

Saturn appears in the southeastern sky as twilight fades and is easily visible throughout the month. The ringed planet occupies a region of very faint stars, and its yellow glow stands out among the faint constellations. Saturn is a favorite target for anyone with a telescope, and viewing it inevitably causes a sense of disbelief. However, rings are real, albeit ephemeral on a cosmic level. Within a few million years, they will no longer exist.

Jupiter gradually rises earlier each night, and by mid-month dominates the eastern sky in the late evening. It is perhaps the most rewarding planet for owners of small telescopes because of its four bright moons that change positions from night to night. The planet’s disk is large enough to show bands of dark tropical clouds, and sometimes one can see the Great Red Spot, an Earth-sized storm in Jupiter’s atmosphere that has persisted for about 300 years.

The planet’s display ends at dawn, when Venus dazzles early risers with its intense white glow. It will decorate the morning sky until the beginning of next year.

October ends with the darkest days of the traditional “cross quarter” – marking the midpoint between the solstice and the equinox – when spirits wander into the night begging for appeasement. The nights get longer until the December solstice. We can look forward to the return of longer days when the calendar turns to Groundhog Day on February 2, the next quarterly day.

Sky watching gatherings in the metropolitan area

Want to look through a telescope this month? Here are some suggestions:

• Every clear Friday night: Visit Analemma Society Observatory at Turner Ranch In Great Falls, Virginia
• October 7: Join as members Northern Virginia Astronomy Club for their annual stargazing event at C.M. Crockett Park, Midland, Virginia.
• October 14: There will be ample opportunities to view the partial solar eclipse safely, either online or “live” with members of local astronomy clubs such as the Local Astronomy Club. National capital astronomers And the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club.
• October 14: “Astronomy for everyone– Come stargaze from Northern Virginia’s only International Dark-Sky Park.
• October 21: Moon sighting with local amateur astronomers on Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Institution In Chantilly, Virginia on International Moon Observation Night.
• October 21: “Explore the sky“It was presented by astronomers in the nation’s capital at the Rock Creek Nature Center and Planetarium.