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A meteor shower caused by Halley’s Comet will grace the night skies this week, albeit dark skies … [+]
Every Monday I select the celestial highlights of the northern hemisphere (northern mid-latitudes) for the next week, but be sure to check my main feed for more detailed articles on stargazing, astronomy, and eclipses.
What to watch out for in the night sky this week: October 19-25, 2020
In a great month for stargazing, this week begins with a beautiful crescent moon in the post-sunset skies, which is always a treat if you go for a walk at night. Look west for a spectacular view on Monday and Tuesday nights.
However, this week is mostly about Wednesday’s peak of the Orionids, a meteor shower caused by Halley’s Comet, which last visited the Solar System in 1986.
After seeing “shooting stars”, there will be an opportunity to see the crescent Moon pass first by Jupiter and then by Saturn. It’s another good week of heavenly sights, and next week comes a rare “Hunter’s Blue Moon” on Halloween!
The crescent moon with “earth glow”, where the Earth reflects the sunlight back to the Moon.
Monday October 19, 2020: Crescent Moon with ‘Earthshine’
Have you ever sent “Earthshine”? Sunlight reflected from the Earth and towards the Moon always produces an “Earth glow”, but it is only visible to the human eye when the Moon is in the shape of a crescent, so its brightness does not overwhelm your eyes. eyes
You can see “Earthshine” tonight, and tomorrow night, by looking at the darkest branch of the crescent Moon illuminated at 14%, which will set in the west shortly after sunset.
Wednesday / Thursday, October 21/22, 2020: Orionid Meter Shower
The Orionid meteor shower peaks in the early hours of Wednesday, October 21, 2020, and should produce around 10-20 “shooting stars” per hour, though perhaps up to 40. They are caused by debris left in the System. Solar by Halley’s Comet.
Get out after midnight, when the Moon will have set a long time ago, and allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness for at least half an hour to give yourself a good chance of seeing fragments of Halley’s Comet flickering before your eyes. The dark skies will really help with the Orionids, who can be quite weak, although they tend to leave long “trains” behind them.
A 45% illuminated Moon will form a triangle with Jupiter bright and Saturn dim.
Thursday October 22, 2020: Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon form a triangle
The bright planet Jupiter meets a near-first-quarter Moon tonight, with the much dimmer planet Saturn in the same part of the southwestern night sky. They will form a triangle with the planets about 2º from the Moon and with each other, which will be better seen as soon as it gets dark.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes
