After the space tourism trips, October is filled with astronomical shows and a couple of launches into space.
This month kicks off with the annual Draconid Meteor Shower, followed by NASA’s first mission to Trojan asteroids and SpaceX’s third mission to the International Space Station. Similarly, Mercury can be seen as a bright star in the morning sky from October 18 to November 1.
Also, between October 2 and 16, things will get very quiet between NASA and its fleet of robotic Mars explorers as a communication disruption is about to occur, all thanks to the Sun. It occurs when both planets are on opposite sides of the Sun, an event that occurs for a couple of weeks every two years.
Below we will tell you in detail the most outstanding events of October and we will tell you when will be the best time to observe them.
Rain of the Draconids
Unlike other meteor showers, the Draconid is short-lived. However, this year it can be observed at dusk and sunset from October 6 to 10, according to the EarthSky organization.
The Draconid meteor shower is created by debris from Comet 21P / Giacobini-Zinner, and gets its name because the meteorites appear to come from the direction of the constellation Draco (the dragon).
The Draconids, however, are also called the Giacobinids, after the man – Michel Giacobini – who first saw the comet that generated the meteor shower in 1900.
When to see the Draconid rain: Peak rate of meteors will occur on October 8.
NASA’s Lucy Mission
NASA’s Lucy mission, bound for Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids, will be the first space mission to visit and study these asteroids, which are “fossils” from the early days of our solar system.
“With Lucy in 12 years and with a single spacecraft, we will go to eight never-before-seen asteroids,” said Tom Statler, Lucy project scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This is a fantastic opportunity for discovery as we explore the distant past of our solar system”.
According to NASA, these asteroids are believed to be remnants of the material that formed the outer planets, so they contain vital clues for deciphering the history of the solar system.
Mission Lucy passed all pre-launch tests and is scheduled to depart Cape Canaveral on October 16.
When to watch the launch: October 16 at 5:34 am Miami time.
Hunter’s full moon
Generally, the next moon after the harvest moon is known as the hunter’s moon, after the time when hunters used the moonlight to hunt prey and prepare for winter.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the term hunter’s moon was first cited in 1710 in the Oxford English Dictionary. Another name that has been given to this moon is blood moon, referring to the blood of the hunt or the color of the autumn leaves.
When to see the hunter’s full moon: October 20 at 10:57 am Miami time.
Orionid Rain
Meteor shower peaks this week 1:01
The Orionid meteor shower sprays the remnants of Halley’s Comet into Earth’s atmosphere to create a dazzling display. However, this year may not be the most shocking spectacle, as the hunter’s full moon will light up the sky most of the night.
Orionids are also often difficult to see because they are so fast. They slide into our atmosphere at 65 km per second, vaporizing in our upper atmosphere about 96 km above the Earth’s surface. Some have been timed at 238,000 km / hour. However, there is no danger that these bright meteorites will collide with Earth.
While some of the meteoroids are the size of a grain of sand, they leave beautiful trails of gas that can spread out for seconds after the meteor is gone, as well as break apart into glowing fragments.
The Orionids appear each year between October 2 and November 7, according to the American Meteor Society.
The spike occurs when the Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind by Halley’s Comet as it intersects its orbit each year at this time. Halley’s Comet was last seen in our sky in 1986 and will reappear in 2061. The comet makes an appearance every 76 years on its way around the Sun, according to NASA.
When to see the Orionid rain: in the early hours of the morning of October 21 and 22.
Space X’s Crew-3 Mission
SpaceX will conduct its third manned mission in a Crew Dragon spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The Crew-3 mission will be manned by NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Kayla Barron and Thomas Marshburn, and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer.
Following launch on October 30 and a journey of approximately 22 hours, according to NASA, the Crew-3 mission astronauts will briefly meet on the ISS with the Crew-2 mission astronauts, who are expected to return to Earth on mid-November.
When to watch the launch: in the early hours of the morning of October 21 and 22.