October 2024 – What’s Up!

Week of 28th October

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18:39 GMT at the start of the week and at 18:29 GMT by the end of the week.
• There is a huge rash of sunspots appearing on the Sun’s surface. Use safe filters to observe these active regions and see how they develop. Will they release sufficient material to create Aurorae?
• Saturn (+0.8) culminates at around 20:30 GMT this week. Jupiter (-2.7) is becoming more of an evening object as it rises at around 18:45 GMT this week.
• Spot two members of our Local Group with the Andromeda Galaxy, M31 (+6.8) and the Triangulum Galaxy, M33 (+5.8) well placed for observation this week. Use binoculars or a telescope to find these ‘faint fuzzies’.
• The Moon is New on Friday.
• The Sun currently has 11 active regions and the sunspot number is 181.
• There are no visible evening ISS passes this week (click here for full ISS pass details).

Week of 21st October

• Astronomical twilight ends at 19:52 BST at the start of the week and at 18:41 GMT by the end of the week.
• Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) (mag +4.4) is receding rapidly and fading in brightness. It is moving through Ophiuchus this week and sets at around 22:30 BST. Catch it while you can!
• The Orionid meteor shower peaks on Monday. It is a relatively unproductive shower, with a peak ZHR of only around 15 meteors per hour. Its progenitor is comet 1P/Halley.
• Saturn (+0.8) culminates at around 21:50 BST through the week. Jupiter (-2.6) is now rising at about 20:00 BST, so becoming ever better placed in our evening sky.
• Remember, the clocks go back one hour at 2am (BST) on Sunday morning and we return to GMT!
• The Moon is Last Quarter on Thursday.
• The Sun currently has 7 active regions and the sunspot number is 101.
• There are no visible evening ISS passes this week (click here for full ISS pass details).

Week of 14th October

• Astronomical twilight ends at 20:06 BST at the start of the week and at 19:54 BST by the end of the week.
• Try and hunt down Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) (mag +3.1) in our western sky just after sunset, which happens at around 18:15 BST through this week. It will be about 20° above the horizon and sets at 20:30 BST on Monday and 21:50 BST by Saturday. It is fading as it recedes from Earth, so let’s hope for clear skies!
• All the planets (except for Mercury) are visible through the course of the night with Venus (-4.0) shining in the southwestern evening sky. Saturn (+0.7) culminates at around 22:30 BST through this week. Neptune (+7.8) is just 14° East of Saturn. Uranus (+5.6) rises at around 19:20 BST, Jupiter (-2.6) at around 20:40 BST and Mars (+0.3) at around 23:00 BST.
• The Moon is Full on Thursday – the Hunters Supermoon.
• The Sun currently has 5 active regions and the sunspot number is 95.
• There are no visible evening ISS passes this week (click here for full ISS pass details).

Week of 7th October

• Astronomical twilight ends at 20:21 BST at the start of the week and at 20:08 BST by the end of the week.
• Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) (mag +2.7) passes perigee on Saturday. Hopefully it will be visible in our evening sky in the west just after sunset (18:19 BST) from next weekend, and possibly before sunset if reports about its increasing magnitude are correct (take care of the Sun, if trying to view when the Sun is above the horizon). Definitely one to get out there and look for, it won’t be around for very long!
• Saturn (+0.7) continues to occupy our southern night sky. It culminates at around 22:55 BST through this week.
• The Moon is First Quarter on Thursday.
• The Sun currently has 8 active regions and the sunspot number is 173.
• There are no visible evening ISS passes this week (click here for full ISS pass details).