TULSA, Okla. — There are many exciting things happening this month.
Oct. 5-10: First up, the Draconids meteor shower. The minor shower only produces about 10 meteors an hour. Officially, it started on Oct. 5, and it will continue through the tenth.
The best time to watch is early Sunday or Monday evening. Of course, you want to go someplace dark, away from those city lights.
Oct. 14: Two astronomical events will take over the sky on Oct. 14. First. we'll have a beautiful New Moon. It will peak at 10:56 p.m. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
Also on Oct. 14, one of the most notable events to take place this month is the annular solar eclipse. The moon moves in front of the sun, creating a circle of light with darkness in the middle.
According to NASA's predictions, we'll see it for just a few minutes right here in Green Country right before noon.
Remember, don't look directly at the Sun, even during this phenomenon. Get certified eclipse glasses or special camera and telescope lenses. This is the last annular eclipse we'll see until 2046. The southern United States will be able to see a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Oct. 20 & 21: Next up, the Orionids Meteor Shower. Although its happening all month, peak viewing happens on the 20th and 21st. With this shower, we'll see roughly 20 meteors an hour, which develop from the dust left behind by Haliey's comet. The best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight.
Oct. 23: Venus will be the star of the show as it's farthest away from the sun on this day. This makes for the best time to see Venus when it's at the highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Just look for the bright planet in the eastern sky before sunrise.
Oct. 28: Just two weeks after our annular solar eclipse, the other side of the globe will see a lunar eclipse as the moon will pass through part of Earth's shadow. The eclipse will be visible throughout all of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and western Australia.
Oct. 28: While we'll miss out on the lunar eclipse here in Green Country, we will see the Full Hunter's Moon dominate the night sky. This full moon was known by early Native tribes as the Hunters Moon because, at this time of year the leaves are falling, and the game is fat and ready to hunt. This moon has also been known as the Travel Moon and the Blood Moon.
As always, if you catch a good picture or video of any of these events, please share them with us at wxpics@kjrh.com.
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