A year is about to pass, a new year is approaching. Let’s find out what interesting astronomical events await us in October 2021.
This ephemeris document is mainly translated from the Seasky site, and also references many reputable scientific sites such as Earthsky, NASA, Time & Date, etc. The times of astronomical events in the article are all converted to Vietnamese time.
October 6 – New Moon
The Moon is on the same side as the Sun when viewed from Earth and therefore cannot be seen in the night sky. This moon phase will occur at 11:05 a.m. UTC (6:05 p.m. Vietnam time). This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters, as there are no obstructions from moonlight.
October 7 – Draconid meteor shower
The Draconid meteor shower is a small meteor shower, with a frequency of only 10 meteors per hour. This meteor shower comes from the dust left by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, discovered in 1900. The unusual point of this meteor shower is that the best viewing time falls in the early evening, not early morning as in ‘habit. . Each year, the Draconid meteor shower is active from October 6 to 10 and peaks on the night of the 7th. This year, the Moon is close to the new moon phase, which will bring dark skies, perfect for a viewing session. Observation of an incredible meteor shower. It is best to observe in the early evening, from a dark location, away from city lights. Meteors tend to radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
Draconid meteor shower. Author: Father Soler
October 20 – Full Moon
The Moon and the Sun will be on opposite sides of the Earth and the surface of the Moon will be fully illuminated. This phase occurred at 2:57 p.m. UTC (9:57 p.m. Vietnam time). This full moon is called the Hunter’s Moon by Native American tribes because it is the time when the leaves fall and game is fat enough to hunt. Additionally, this full moon is also known as the Traveling Moon and the Blood Moon.
October 21 and 22 – Orionid meteor shower
The Orionid meteor shower is a medium-sized meteor shower with a frequency of up to 20 meteors per hour. This meteor shower comes from dust particles falling from Comet Halley, a comet discovered and observed since ancient times. This meteor shower is active every year from October 2 to November 7. This year, the meteor shower peaks on the night of October 21 and the morning of October 22. The full moon will make it difficult to observe rain. . The moonlight obscured most of the meteor except for the brightest streaks. But if you are patient enough, you will still be able to see amazing meteors. Best observed in a dark place after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Orion, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
Orionid meteor shower over Inner Mongolia, China. Author: Yin Hao
October 25 – Mercury reaches maximum western elongation
Mercury reaches its maximum westward elongation when it is 18.4 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to observe Mercury because the planet will be highest above the morning horizon. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky, just before sunrise.
October 29 – Venus reaches its maximum eastern elongation
Venus reaches its maximum eastward elongation when it is 47 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Venus because the planet will be highest above the evening horizon. Look for this bright planet in the western sky, just after sunset.
See more 2021 ephemeris here: https://deepsky2000.net/lich-cac-su-kien-thien-van-nam-2021/
HAS translation team
comments
comments
