Eye on the Sky Vol. 10 – October 28, 2023
It’s time for another meteor shower! The Orionids have passed their peak, so they’ll be less and less likely to see, but the Taurids are just getting started! The radiant of the Taurid meteor shower is high in the sky in the early hours of the night, so this one is perfect for our youngest astronomers who want to see something cool before bedtime! These meteors, believed to be leftovers from Comet 2P/Encke, can be seen after sunset until midnight in the constellation Taurus. They tend to be exceptionally bright, casting long-lasting trails across the heavens and sometimes even appearing to explode in a burst of color! Their distinctive green or bluish hues make Taurid fireballs a rare and captivating sight for skywatchers. Remember to give your eyes plenty of time to adjust to the darkness. Just 20-30 minutes away from artificial light will allow you to see more celestial objects than you could possibly imagine, and definitely give you a good chance of seeing a meteor. Keep in mind the moon also puts out a lot of light, especially when it’s full, so make a goal to get outside and look before it rises. You can check here for times: moon rise and set San Diego
Other interesting things to see with the naked eye this week:
Full “Hunter’s” Moon (10/28) 🌕
Conjunction of Venus and Mars (every morning just before dawn)
Andromeda Galaxy (after the moon sets)
Milky Way (8:00-9:00 for the next couple days)
Come to the Star Party at Tierra Del Sol on the 4th of November! We’ll be handing out red flashlights to our students and hoping to see some great balls of fire, if only so we can listen to the song by Jerry Lee Lewis! ☄️
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