鈥淲hat鈥檚 up in the sky?鈥� is a recurring feature and publishes on the first of every month. You can find it on聽海角精品黑料鈥檚 The Space Place. Email Greg your space questions and he might answer them in the next edition.
Welcome to 海角精品黑料鈥檚 monthly feature, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 up in the sky?鈥� Each month it features the best the sky has to offer stargazers regarding the moon, planets and stars. Space-related events that might interest you taking place in the D.C. area are included as well.
Let鈥檚 get to the sky for October 2025!
Must-see sky sights for October
During October 2025, Venus continues to be the 鈥淢orning Star鈥� in the east before dawn, albeit lower in the sky but still bright. The beautiful and bright winter constellations keep Venus celestial company making for a wondrous sky sight. The moon joins up with Venus too for a must-see sky sight.
The zodiacal light will be visible in the eastern pre-dawn sky for about two weeks starting on the 19th.
The Orionid Meteor Shower will happen on the night of Oct. 20-21.
Star of the month: Algol
In October, be on the lookout for 鈥� the 鈥淒emon Star鈥� 鈥� so named because of its regular change in brightness. Algol is a variable star that undergoes very regular intervals between its maximum and minimum brightness. You can use 聽to determine when Algol will be at its dimmest for several hours.
It is quite intriguing to watch the star change brightness. You can try imaging this process as well with your camera/smartphone.
Highlights of the month
On Oct. 1 in the southwest, the center and brightest part of our galaxy, is visible for a few hours after dark before it sets. You need a dark sky site and a moonless night to see the Milky Way at its best.
As October begins, the Summer Triangle is high overhead with the Milky Way running through it as it flows across the sky to the northeast. As the night heads into the hours before dawn, the 鈥淲inter Milky Way鈥� is visible in the southeast to the northwest. You can see the Milky Way with a smartphone and/or camera by taking time exposures. For the best results, use a tripod.
翱肠迟.听4: is on this night. Check out the website for information on events, and of course, the moon!
Oct. 5: As it gets dark, Saturn and the almost full moon rise in the east 鈥� a mere two degrees apart.
Oct. 6: The is at 11:47 p.m. Eastern Time and rises at sunset in the East. This is the first full supermoon of 2025 and the largest and brightest full moon of 2025. Should be a grand sight at sunset! Get your smartphone/camera ready.
Oct. 9: Starting at 11:30 p.m. and lasting for about 2.5 hours, the bright moon passes through the Pleiades star cluster late in the evening covering, or occulting, some of the stars. Binoculars will enhance the view.
Oct. 19: A must see in the pre-dawn sky in the east is the very old, waning crescent moon with joining up with Venus at just four degrees apart. Try taking a smartphone/camera picture.
Oct. 19: While looking at the moon and Venus, be on the lookout for the . For about two weeks, it will be visible in the northern hemisphere in the eastern pre-dawn sky, and for the southern hemisphere in the west after sunset. You will need a dark sky site and clear horizon to see this ghostly pyramid shape in the sky. Try taking a smartphone/camera picture.
Night of Oct. 20-21: The graces our dark, moonless sky. Under these sky conditions, the Orionids exhibit a maximum of about 10-20 meteors per hour.
Oct. 24: If you have a straight line horizon in the southwest with no obstructions, at twilight look to the southwest to see the young waxing crescent moon very near Antares. To the lower right and just above the horizon Mercury and dimmer Mars are paired up. You will most likely need binoculars to see this. Try taking a smartphone/camera picture.
The moon
Oct. 6-7: Full harvest supermoon
Oct. 13: Last quarter
Oct. 21:聽New moon
Oct. 29: First quarter
Planets
Mercury is favorable for Southern Hemisphere viewers.
Venus is bright but lower above the eastern horizon before dawn. You can鈥檛 miss it.
Mars is in the glare of the Sun at dusk.
Jupiter rises in the northeast around midnight and is quite bright.
Saturn rises in the east as it gets dark. A great view in a telescope will help see as the rings cast a thin line across the planet.
is in the eastern sky after dark. You need a telescope to best observe the planet, although it is visible in binoculars.
is in the east as it gets dark. You need a telescope to observe the planet.
is way out there in the solar system and requires taking images through a telescope spaced days apart to hunt it down.
DC-area events
has several events around the D.C. region.
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park鈥檚 Big Meadows is an excellent dark sky site and there are a聽聽for you to enjoy throughout the Park. I will be conducting my 鈥溾�� events, so hope to see you there. If you visit Shenandoah National Park, be sure to check out the rangers鈥� schedule as they host astronomy events as well.
NOVAC General Meeting
George Mason University. Check the
The Analemma Society
has resumed observatory operations. Check the link regarding Friday Night Public Viewing Sessions at Turner Farm in Great Falls, Virginia. Check their calendar for other astronomy activities in October.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- The museum has loads of astronomy stuff in D.C. and Chantilly.
Other groups holding events in October include 听补苍诲 the聽.
You can聽听补苍诲聽that are outside the D.C. area.
Bonus!
聽that features out-of-this-world pictures and information.
罢丑别听聽is another resource for tracking space missions.
Use this聽聽for your location to help you find your way around the stars.
You can also send in any space-related questions to my email address. Suggestions about this feature are also welcome.
Follow Greg Redfern on聽,听听补苍诲 his聽聽to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration.
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