[Upbeat music]
[Preston Dyches} What's Up for October?
Some great Moon and planet pairings,
a mission to a metal rich world,
and a partial eclipse of the Sun.
On October 2nd, the Moon rises a couple of hours after sunset,
appearing super close to the Pleiades star cluster.
Look for them low in the east after around 10 p.m..
They travel across the sky together that night, leaving
another opportunity to see them the following morning.
In the predawn sky on October 3rd,
the Moon appears a couple of finger-widths
apart from the Pleiades,
having moved a bit in its orbit around Earth during the night.
Look for them high in the southwest, flanked by Jupiter
and the bright, red giant star Aldebaran in Taurus.
On October 10th, look for Venus in the east
before sunrise, accompanied by a slim crescent Moon.
And in between them, the bright heart of Leo
the lion, bluish-white star Regulus.
On October 23rd, look toward the south, an hour
or two after sunset to find the Moon, about 70%
illuminated, hanging just beneath the planet Saturn.
Their close proximity in the sky will make for some easy
telescope viewing of these two skywatching favorites.
The following evening, the Moon will still be nearby,
having moved to the east of Saturn.
The full moon on
October 28th rises together with planet Jupiter.
These are two of the brightest
objects in the sky, and seeing them so close
should make for quite an impressive sight.
When you gaze up at Venus
or Mars, Mercury
(or even an Earth beneath your feet),
do you ever wonder how these planets formed out of stardust?
That's how planetary scientists think, too.
And this month, NASA's
launching a spacecraft to seek insights into
how the “terrestrial” planets developed.
NASA's Psyche spacecraft is planned to launch in October
on its multi-year journey to an asteroid of the same name.
It's the first mission to a metal-rich asteroid,
which could be part of the interior of a planetesimal,
a building block of a rocky planet.
Asteroid Psyche could also turn out
to be a different kind of iron rich object
that's not been seen before.
Whatever its story turns out to be,
it's hoped the mission might show us
how Earth's core and the course of other
terrestrial planets came to be.
On October 14th, skywatchers in the Americas
will have an opportunity to see a special type
of solar eclipse called an annular eclipse.
Along a path about 125 miles wide,
the Sun will appear as a narrow
ring of light, which is often called a “ring of fire.”
This narrow circle shape is also known as an annulus,
giving this type of eclipse its name.
Solar eclipses happen when the Moon comes between
Earth and the Sun and covers
at least part of the Sun in the sky.
When the Moon covers the Sun completely,
we get to observe a total eclipse.
But sometimes the Moon is a bit farther away in its orbit
when an eclipse happens, making it
look a little smaller in the sky
and just a bit too small to completely cover the Sun.
When that happens, it enables us to see an annular eclipse.
The path of this partial eclipse sweeps across the Americas,
beginning in Southern Canada and crossing the Western U.S.,
before moving across Central and South America.
Outside the annular eclipse path, those within the viewing
zone will still see a partial eclipse.
The maximum amount of the Sun that will be covered
by the Moon depends on your location.
Now, eclipse fans won't have to wait long for more excitement.
Next April, a total solar eclipse will sweep
across the U.S..
Check out NASA's eclipse resources online for info
about both eclipses, where they'll be visible,
and tips for safe viewing.
Here are the
phases of the Moon for October.
Stay up to date with all of NASA's missions
to explore the solar system and beyond at nasa.gov.
I'm Preston Dyches from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
and that's What's Up for this month.