WEST MICHIGAN — For any avid sky watchers, or even first timers, this month will be a very busy one in space. West Michigan will have the opportunity to potentially see Mercury, a few meteor showers, a full moon and a new moon, and a partial solar eclipse.
October 7: Draconids Meteor Shower: The Draconids are pretty short lived, so keep a keen eye out! This meteor shower is annual, and tends to create about 10 'shooting stars.' It is produced by dust grains left behind by a comet. Best viewing will be in the early evening from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
October 8: Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation: The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 18 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise. It will look like a slate gray, brighter star.
October 9: October Full Hunter Moon: The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. The Hunter Moon is named by old Farmer's Almanacs based on this being prime hunting time.
October 21, 22: Orionids Meteor Shower: If you don't catch a glimpse of the Draconids, you can definitely still catch the second meteor shower of the month. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Halley, which has been known and observed since ancient times. This set of meteors is known as the brightest group. The thin, crescent moon will leave mostly dark skies for what should be a good show. Hopefully we'll have clearer skies for optimal viewing. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Orion, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
October 25: New Moon: The new moon will not be illuminated, so skies will be majority dark. This will be prime for looking at star constellations.
October 25: Partial Solar Eclipse: I have bad news for us in the U.S. The partial solar eclipse won't be visible in our sky. It will be visible for other portions of the northern hemisphere, like Asia, Europe and Africa. The moon will pass in front of the sun creating a partial solar eclipse. It will look like a bite was taken out of the sun.
There are also numerous opportunities to see the International Space Station pass through the sky this month as well.
As usual, clouds could hinder our view, so keep up with FOX 17 Weather with the latest on sky conditions so you can catch a glimpse of all the October phenomena.
