the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
Psalm 8:3,4
(From Astronomy and Sky & Telescope Magazines)
Sunday, October 6
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is continuing to delight, now approaching Earth after rounding the Sun in late September. Recently recorded at 2nd magnitude (though things can change quickly!), it’s still visible shortly before sunrise for those with a clear eastern horizon. After dark look just above the northeast horizon — far below high Cassiopeia — for bright Capella on the rise. How soon Capella rises, and how high you'll find it, depend on your latitude. The farther north you are, the sooner and higher.
About half an hour before sunrise, the comet is just under 3° high in the east and slowly rising.
Monday, October 7
Asteroid 39 Laetitia reaches opposition at 2 P.M. EDT; we’ll check in with this main-belt
world tomorrow in the evening sky.
The starry W of Cassiopeia stands high in the northeast after dark. The right-hand side of the W (the brightest side) is on top.
Look at the second segment of the W counting down from the top. It's not quite horizontal. Notice the dim naked-eye stars along that segment (not counting its two ends). The brightest of these, on the right, is Eta Cassiopeiae, magnitude 3.4. It's a remarkably Sun-like star just 19 light-years away. But unlike the Sun it has an orange-dwarf companion
The Moon passes 0.2° south of the bright star Antares in Scorpius at 3 P.M. EDT. An hour after sunset, the two appear side by side in the southwestern sky, with the body and long, curving tail of the Scorpion low to the horizon for most mid-latitude observers.
Tuesday, October 8
Let’s return to Laetitia, now one day past opposition and visible in the sky most of the night. Located in the constellation Cetus, Laetitia is rising at sunset and highest in the sky
around 1 A.M. local daylight time.
Late this evening, you’ll find Laetitia climbing in the south, some 5.3° north-northwest of the magnitude 3.6 star Theta (θ) Ceti.
Wednesday, October 9
Jupiter is stationary at 3 A.M. EDT this morning, coming to a an apparent stop in the sky some 4° west of Zeta (ζ) Tauri.
Thursday, October 10
First Quarter Moon occurs at 2:55 P.M. EDT, making this evening shortly after dark an excellent time to observe our satellite.
Friday, October 11
Pluto stands stationary at 10 P.M. EDT. The tiny, distant dwarf planet is in Capricornus,
not far east of the waxing gibbous Moon, which is in Sagittarius the Archer this evening. The region is setting in the west after sunset, so between the low altitude and brightness of the Moon, trying to hunt down the elusive dwarf planet is not a good idea tonight.
Saturday, October 12
Now Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS stands higher, about 8° above the west horizon 30 minutes after sunset (as seen from mid-northern latitudes). Again, bring binoculars.
Sixty minutes after sunset, as a few stars are beginning to come out, its head is still 5° above the horizon's west point. The head sets around twilight's end, but as darkness becomes complete the long dust tail, or hints of it, may be detectable extending fairly far almost straight up — depending on your light pollution.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is continuing to delight, now approaching Earth after rounding the Sun in late September. Recently recorded at 2nd magnitude (though things can change quickly!), it’s still visible shortly before sunrise for those with a clear eastern horizon. After dark look just above the northeast horizon — far below high Cassiopeia — for bright Capella on the rise. How soon Capella rises, and how high you'll find it, depend on your latitude. The farther north you are, the sooner and higher.
About half an hour before sunrise, the comet is just under 3° high in the east and slowly rising.
Monday, October 7
Asteroid 39 Laetitia reaches opposition at 2 P.M. EDT; we’ll check in with this main-belt
The starry W of Cassiopeia stands high in the northeast after dark. The right-hand side of the W (the brightest side) is on top.
Look at the second segment of the W counting down from the top. It's not quite horizontal. Notice the dim naked-eye stars along that segment (not counting its two ends). The brightest of these, on the right, is Eta Cassiopeiae, magnitude 3.4. It's a remarkably Sun-like star just 19 light-years away. But unlike the Sun it has an orange-dwarf companion
The Moon passes 0.2° south of the bright star Antares in Scorpius at 3 P.M. EDT. An hour after sunset, the two appear side by side in the southwestern sky, with the body and long, curving tail of the Scorpion low to the horizon for most mid-latitude observers.
Tuesday, October 8
Let’s return to Laetitia, now one day past opposition and visible in the sky most of the night. Located in the constellation Cetus, Laetitia is rising at sunset and highest in the sky
Late this evening, you’ll find Laetitia climbing in the south, some 5.3° north-northwest of the magnitude 3.6 star Theta (θ) Ceti.
Wednesday, October 9
Jupiter is stationary at 3 A.M. EDT this morning, coming to a an apparent stop in the sky some 4° west of Zeta (ζ) Tauri.
Thursday, October 10
First Quarter Moon occurs at 2:55 P.M. EDT, making this evening shortly after dark an excellent time to observe our satellite.
Friday, October 11
Pluto stands stationary at 10 P.M. EDT. The tiny, distant dwarf planet is in Capricornus,
Saturday, October 12
Now Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS stands higher, about 8° above the west horizon 30 minutes after sunset (as seen from mid-northern latitudes). Again, bring binoculars.
Sixty minutes after sunset, as a few stars are beginning to come out, its head is still 5° above the horizon's west point. The head sets around twilight's end, but as darkness becomes complete the long dust tail, or hints of it, may be detectable extending fairly far almost straight up — depending on your light pollution.
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