BACKYARD STARGAZER: Moon in Jupiter, and an Eclipse, too!
By Francis Parnell
In October the Moon visits Jupiter twice and there’s an Annular eclipse of the Sun.
At 10:30 p.m. on the 1st, look east-northeast to observe the waning gibbous Moon with very bright Jupiter just 2 degrees to the right.
On the 2nd at 10:40 p.m., look east-northeast to catch the Moon and the open cluster, the Pleiades, only 1.5 degrees apart. Both objects will fit into the field of view of binoculars.
One hour before sunrise on the 12th, face east to see a thin crescent Moon with brilliant Venus 5 degrees to the right.
There will be an Annular eclipse of the Sun on the 14th, but for us in SC it will be a partial eclipse with about 56% of the Sun covered by the Moon. Use safe viewing techniques such as eclipse glasses or telescopes and binoculars with solar filters. Eclipse starts at 11:50 a.m., mid-eclipse is at 1:18 p.m., and ends at 2:48 p.m.
At dusk on the 18th, look southwest to see the waxing crescent Moon and red Antares, the heart of Scorpius, less than 5 degrees apart.
Looking south-southwest after sunset on the 23rd, the waxing gibbous Moon is about 5 degrees below yellow Saturn.
Observe the Full Hunter’s Moon rising on the 28th, exactly two weeks after the partial eclipse, with bright Jupiter 2.5 degrees below it.
FAST FACT: Instead of a total eclipse, an Annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is far enough away from Earth in its orbit and appears slightly smaller than the Sun. At mid-eclipse there’s a very bright “ring of fire” around the Moon, and it doesn’t get dark.
“Keep looking up!”