Take heed to this episode on Sky & Telescope’s YouTube channel.

The Moon’s phases are in sync with the calendar this month. We begin October with a New Moon on the 2nd. Through the subsequent week, a skinny crescent seems low within the southwestern night sky and waxes (will get a bit of fatter) because it climbs increased evening by evening. This waxing continues till full Moon on the seventeenth, recognized historically as the complete Hunter’s Moon. After that the sunlit portion of the Moon wanes (will get thinner and thinner) because it approaches new Moon.

It’s simple to consider the Moon as only a circle within the sky, but it surely’s actually a sphere. And should you’ve ever puzzled why the Moon reveals totally different phases because it orbits round Earth, right here’s one thing you possibly can attempt with a golf ball or a ping-pong ball. Go exterior simply earlier than sundown in early October, and discover the crescent Moon over within the southwest. Maintain the ball up at arm’s size so it’s pointed within the Moon’s path and in daylight. Now take a look at the ball. You’ll see a slice of it on the precise aspect illuminated by the Solar, in a crescent form, whereas most of it’s in shadow — precisely how the Moon appears!

Do that a few nights later, once more simply earlier than sundown, and also you’ll discover that the Moon has moved round in its orbit and seems farther east. Level your ball towards the Moon, and its floor will look extra totally sunlit than it did earlier than. It’s waxing, identical to the Moon is. The ball and the Moon each present these totally different shapes as a result of they’re spheres being illuminated by the Solar from totally different angles.

In the meantime, 4 vivid planets await you over the course of October evenings. To start out your search, you’ll want a viewing location with a totally clear view towards west — no timber, no buildings, no clouds alongside the horizon in that path. Watch the place the Solar units, and about 45 minutes later look off to the left (near the horizon) for good Venus.

As twilight dims, flip to face east, the place Saturn has been a gradual presence for the previous couple of months. Jupiter and Mars path behind Saturn within the sky proper now. Jupiter can be unmistakably vivid as soon as it climbs over the japanese horizon. That happens round midnight early in October however by 10 pm at month’s finish. Mars comes up a few hours later, located to the precise of the celebs Castor and Pollux in Gemini and to the left of Orion, all rising collectively within the east.

Now should you like a little bit of a stargazing problem, proper now there’s a comet cruising by the interior photo voltaic system named Tsuchinshan-ATLAS and designated C/2023 A3. October will provide your greatest probability to identify this interloper, and with luck it’ll turn out to be vivid sufficient to see by eye! For recommendations on the place and when to identify it, hearken to this month’s Sky Tour Podcast.

And in October’s episode I additionally describe two large celestial beasts that are actually in view: Pegasus, the Winged Horse, and Ursa Main, the Massive Bear. Pegasus is rearing up within the east because it will get darkish. Search for this constellation’s Nice Sq., tipped up on one nook, which represents the physique of this legendary horse. Over within the north is our previous pal, the Massive Dipper, which is simply part of the Nice Bear. The bear’s pointy nostril, marked by the star Muscida, is about two fists to the precise of the Dipper’s bowl. The bear’s legs dangle beneath, and the farther north you’re the extra of them you’ll see. Its tail is marked by the arc of three stars within the Dipper’s deal with.

There’s heaps extra to find overhead throughout October nights, and you may observe all of it down utilizing this month’s episode of the Sky Tour astronomy podcast. Use it to search out every thing described right here — plus a beautiful assortment of easy-to-spot stars and constellations.

Learn the complete podcast transcript.