The first meteor shower is on the 8th – the Draconids. On the 18th, we have the Epsilon Geminids and on the 22nd the Orionids. As with practically all showers, they are best seen on a moonless night and after midnight.
As far as comets are concerned, we have the famous 3I/ATLAS that passes close to Mars on the 3rd, at a distance of 18 million miles – and then passes close to the star Spica in late October.
3I/ATLAS will be best seen with a very big telescope in late December near the star Regulus in Leo. It passes closest to the Earth on December 19 at 1.8 astronomical units away. Unfortunately, it will be always exceptionally faint at a magnitude of approximately 15; this is 1,000 times fainter than can be seen with the unaided eye. So, it will require a very large telescope to see.
The other two are Comet Lemmon in the Big Dipper that will be 56 million miles from Earth on the 21st; and the newly-discovered Comet SWAN R2 that is close to Earth in October, and it is in the Libra constellation. It is moving into Ophiuchus constellation, just near to Scorpius. Both these objects are not easily visible with the unaided eye and will probably require at least small binoculars.
The planet Mercury is not easily visible this month. Planet Venus rises in the east two hours before the Sun this month. The red planet Mars is in Libra but sets just after the Sun this month. The gas giant planet Jupiter is in the Gemini constellation rising around midnight. The ringed planet Saturn is in the Aquarius constellation and sets in the west at 5.30am.
The close-to-full Moon will be near to planet Saturn on the 6th. On the 14th, the last quarter Moon will be close to Jupiter. On the 19th, the crescent Moon will be close to Venus. On the 23rd, the Moon will be close to planet Mars.
The full Moon of the 7th will be a Super Moon, 13% brighter than average. It will be in the Pisces constellation, close to Saturn.
The Moon will be full on the 7th, last quarter on the 13th, new on the 21st and first quarter on October 29.
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To see the October Sky Map, click on the link below
Read Clive Jackson’s last month’s article of September 2025 or the following month of November 2025.
