Among the many 5 naked-eye planets, only one is out of the viewing loop this month and it simply occurs to be the brightest of all, Venus.
Will probably be intently aligned past the sun as seen from the Earth on Oct. 22, because it transitions from the morning to the night sky. In the meantime, Saturn and Jupiter are distinguished within the early night sky, whereas Mars is finest seen through the late night/after midnight timeframe.
Lastly, one of the best morning views of Mercury will come through the first three weeks of October, low within the east about 45 minutes previous to dawn.
Associated: Space calendar 2022: Rocket launches, sky events, missions & more!
In our schedule, do not forget that when measuring the angular separation between two celestial objects, your clenched fist held at arm’s size measures roughly 10 levels. Right here, we current a schedule beneath which offers among the finest planet viewing occasions as nicely directing you as to the place to look to see them.
For those who’re searching for binoculars or a telescope to see the solar system planets, our guides for the best binoculars and the best telescopes have choices that may assist. For those who want images gear, think about our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography to arrange for the subsequent planet sight.
Mercury
(opens in new tab)
Mercury stands at best western elongation on the morning of Oct. 8. Though solely 18 levels from the sun, the planet at magnitude minus 0.4 rises shortly earlier than the start of astronomical twilight, making this the 12 months’s most favorable morning apparition for observers in mid-northern latitudes. Mercury needs to be simply seen to the unaided eye for the primary three weeks of October. Throughout this interval, Mercury rises almost due east and brightens from magnitude minus 0.4 to minus 1.
Venus
(opens in new tab)
Venus begins this month by rising a half hour earlier than the sun. The planet rapidly turns into misplaced from view within the solar glare, passing by way of superior conjunction about 1 diploma north of the sun on Oct. 22.
Mars
(opens in new tab)
Mars shining with an excellent fiery orange mild will probably be readily seen because the waning gibbous moon rises through the late night hours of Oct. 14. Mars will probably be situated about 3 levels to the moon‘s decrease proper.
The Crimson Planet is the planetary famous person this fall, however we nonetheless have to attend up a bit for it. It rises nicely north of east round 10 p.m. native daylight time in the beginning of October and will get 30 levels up, excessive sufficient for wonderful observing, round 1 a.m. However on the finish of the month, it rises at round 8:25 p.m. and is 30 levels up by about 11:15 p.m. native daylight time.
All through October Mars is positioned between the horns of Taurus the Bull about 10 to fifteen levels to the northeast of Aldebaran, which it significantly outshines, with the Pleiades wanting on. This month, as the space from Mars decreases from 73 to 58 million miles (117 to 93 million km), it almost doubles in brightness from magnitude minus 0.6 to minus 1.2, as we hurtle towards it at a mean velocity of 5.5 miles (8.8 km) per second.
Associated: Best telescopes for seeing planets 2022
Jupiter
(opens in new tab)
Jupiter will seem to steer the almost-full moon throughout the sky through the in a single day hours of Oct. 8-9, located about 4 levels to the moon’s proper (west). The large planet shines low within the east within the night twilight, climbing increased every week. After darkish the king of planets dominates the sky all night time lengthy, blazing at a magnitude minus 2.9.
Jupiter transits the meridian (reaching its highest due south) within the late night, in order that’s one of the best time for telescopic observations of the wealthy feast of options in its clouds in addition to the endless dance of its 4 Galilean satellites.
Jupiter’s disk shrinks barely this month, but it surely’s nonetheless greater than the planet ever seems in most years. Jupiter units throughout morning twilight through the first half of October and round 4:15 a.m. daylight-saving time at month’s finish.
Saturn
(opens in new tab)
Saturn seems a half dozen levels to the moon’s higher proper on the night of Oct. 5. The ringed world is a straightforward and apparent sight within the night sky; a vibrant yellow-white starlike object within the southeast at dusk and within the south through the mid-to-late night.
Saturn shines markedly brighter than the 1st-magnitude bluish-white star Fomalhaut, which sparkles 20 levels to the decrease left. Saturn’s rings open to fifteen levels — probably the most they will be tipped till 2027.
Editor’s Be aware: For those who snap a photograph of the planets in September and wish to share it with Area.com’s readers, ship your picture(s), feedback, and your identify and site to spacephotos@space.com.
Joe Rao serves as an teacher and visitor lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium (opens in new tab). He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine (opens in new tab), the Farmers’ Almanac (opens in new tab) and different publications. Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) and on Facebook (opens in new tab).
