Rishi Shah

The night skies of this festive month would make the sky-gazers happy with the splendid sights of the planets, constellations and many other heavenly objects that are dotted all over the heavens. The elusive planet Mercury would be lost in solar glare, due to its proximity to the Sun. It would thus stay mostly out of view this month. Mercury would be sliding across the starry fields of zodiacal constellations Libra (scales) and Virgo (maiden). On 01 October it would reach its greatest eastern elongation from Sun and be placed high in western sky after sunset. On the other hand, the resplendent planet Venus could be espied before dawn in eastern sky. It would be hurrying through the constellations Leo (lion) and Virgo.

Mars, Jupiter and Saturn
Likewise, the red planet Mars could be marveled after sunset in southeastern sky until sunrise in southwestern sky. It could be spotted among the stars belonging to the V-mimicking constellation Pisces (fishes). Mars would make its most imminent approach to earth at fairly 62.26 million kilometers during its so-called opposition to the Sun on 13 October. It would be shimmering than in any other time of the year and be seen all night long. Its compelling conundrums could be cognized and the Martian enigmas that are spread over its orange surface could be photographed placidly. The mighty planet Jupiter and ringed planet Saturn could be astounded in southern sky after sundown till before midnight in the southwestern sky.
The dwarf planet Pluto would be loitering leisurely between them. These three entities would be cavorting cheerily with the stars that inhabit northeastern flank of teapot-resembling constellation Sagittarius (archer). The far-flung greenish ice-planet Uranus would creep closest to earth at 2.811 billion kilometers on 31 October during its opposition to Sun. It would be glistening gloriously in southern sector of arcane constellation Aries (ram). Due to its distance from us, it would be perceived as a tiny blue-green dot when peered through telescopes. The far-away blue planet Neptune could be cherished after dusk in eastern sky till midnight. It would be resting and rejoicing in the eastern part of constellation Aquarius (water bearer).
The full moon this month, which would be popularly known as the hunter’s moon could mysteriously mystify moon-lovers with its comely coruscating countenance on 01 October. The full moon’s moniker had been eponymously derived from the fact that during this time of year the leaves would be falling forlornly and the wild-game would be lazily lethargic and fattened. And thus they would be sadly hunted.

New Moon
The murky new moon would befall on 16 October. The second full moon in this month could be awed on 31 October. It would be referred to as a blue moon. This rare calendar-event would not be happening too frequently and it has befittingly given rise to the term once in a blue moon. Venerated Bijaya Dashami festival would be celebrated joyfully on 26 October 2020.
Asteroid 8-Flora could also be appraised from late evening in southeastern sky till sunup and be lying low in southwestern sky. It would be crawling cautiously in pentagon-alike asterism in northern region of constellation Cetus (sea monster) in the vicinity of star Gamma Ceti or Kaffeljidhma. It has been intrinsically identified as a triple star system that is queerly eighty light-years away.
The minor Draconid meteor shower alias Giacobinids would be displaying circa ten meteors per hour during its peak during evening in northwestern sky on 07 October. The shower would be produced by dirt-grains left behind by comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which was first detected in 1900. Unlike other meteor showers the best watching of Draconids could be manifested mostly after tenebrous twilight. The shower could generally be admired from 06 to 10 October. The second quarter waning gibbous moon would guarantee the inky skies for fulgent meteor shower show. The meteors would seemingly emanate from its radiant point that would be residing in the circumpolar constellation winged Draco (dragon). It would fly highest in the sky at nightfall. Then it would sink slowly in the sky.
Normally the meteor showers would obtain their sobriquet from the constellation from which they apparently radiate. So, the Draconid meteors would ostensibly exude from the imaginary head of the circumpolar constellation Draco (dragon) lying adjacent to the effulgent stars Eltanin and Rastaban. Giant star Eltanin or Gamma Draconis meaning the big serpent in Arabic glowing gorgeously with orange-hue would be basically 154.3 light-years from Sun. It would boldly boast of six companions.
The baffling binary star Rastaban or Beta Draconis would be specifically 380 light-years away. The two components have been designated Beta Draconis-A and B. Yellowish star Beta Draconis-A would be encircled eerily by the dwarf associate once in every four millennia. This annual meteor shower would be noticeable when earth’s orbit around Sun would cross the path of Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner.
The debris left behind by this comet would collide with the earth’s upper atmosphere and burn up as Draconids. This comet’s orbital period would be barely 6.6 years. On exceptional occasions when the maximum of the shower would coincide with the comet’s perihelion, the shower would be raining down hundreds or even thousands of meteors in an hour. Its closest point to the Sun was calculated to be approximately the same as earth’s span to Sun.
The last perihelion of the comet was on 10 September 2018. Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner came closer to earth than it had in 72 years. Consequently, the Draconids had an outburst in 2018. The Draconid meteor shower had exhibited thousands of meteors per hour in 1933 and 1946. In October 2011, people around the globe could relish elevated number of Draconid meteors, despite the bright moon with European observers witnessing overwhelming six hundred meteors per hour. The comet’s next perihelion would be in 2025. French avid astronomer Michel Giacobini had discovered this comet and the German astronomer Ernst Zinner had reconfirmed its existence in 1913.

Meteor Shower
An average Orionid meteor shower could enthrall sky-onlookers with up to twenty fiery shooting stars during its topmost instance on the night of the 21 till daybreak of 22 September in southeastern sky. Orionids would originate from the dusty specks left behind by iconic comet 1P/Halley, which has been recorded and observed since ancient times. The shower would be perceptible from 02 October to 07 November. The waxing crescent moon would set before midnight leaving the dark skies for enabling meteor-enthusiasts to enjoy good shower show. Meteors would evidently emerge from the location depicting the elbow of the hunter in the compelling constellation Orion. Named after the renowned English astronomer Edmond Halley, Halley’s Comet would visit our inner solar system every seventy-six years. Each time it would swing by the Sun, its petit cometary particles would be copiously shed along its trail. When our earth would trudge through them they would streak through our atmosphere at whooping forty kilometers per second resulting in fabulous fireworks famed fascinatingly as the Orionids.
The Orionids are the second of two showers that occur every year produced from dust released by Halley’s Comet. The first one dubbed Eta Aquarids could be savoured during early May.
The minor Southern Taurid meteor shower would be showing off paltry five to ten meteors during its utmost time on the night of the 29 till morning of 30 October in southeastern sky. The nearly full moon would wash away faint meteors except the most luminous ones. It would run annually from 10 September to 20 November.
The Southern Taurids would be caused by wee dregs left behind by short-term Comet 2P/Encke that would revolve around the Sun once every 3.3 years. It was first scrutinized by French astronomer Pierre Mechain in 1786 and was first recognized as a periodic comet in the 1800s by German astronomer Johann Franz Encke. The meteors tagged as frightening Halloween fireballs would be emitted from the commanding constellation Taurus (bull) with its reddish giant star Aldebaran (Rohini) that would be sixty-five light-years away. The open star cluster the Pleiades (Seven Sisters) could be wowed in its neighborhood.

(Shah writes about astronomy)