Welcome to this issue of
Qué tal in the Current Skies

Here you will find useful observing information about the visible planets, our Moon and other moons, the Sun, as well as various 'things' celestial. Among these web pages you will find monthly star maps for either the northern or southern hemisphere that are suitable for printout. Animated images are utilized to illustrate celestial motions such as orbital motions of the planets, and other solar orbiting objects, or apparent and real motions along the ecliptic and the local horizon. Regular features include plotting the monthly positions of the visible planets using heliocentric coordinates; following moon phases; conjunctions; the sun's apparent motion and the Earth's real motion along the ecliptic.
Scroll down for more web site information, resources, and a link to the previous month issue.

Volume 24          Issue 10
October 2018
   Month at a Glance:
This month
Click here for the month at a glance calendar.


Winter constellations in the early morning fall skies.


Mercury moves into the evening skies but it stays too low over the western horizon to be seen from the Northern Hemisphere.
Venus is visible as an evening planet for a few days early this month as Venus gradually moves westward toward inferior conjunction on the 26th. Each evening Venus sets closer to local sunset time eventually lost in the Sun's glare.
Mars is visible over the southern horizon at sunset setting around midnight local time. As the distance between Earth and Mars continues to increase Mars will noticeably dim in apparent magnitude.
Dwarf Planet Ceres is too close to the Sun and will be at solar conjunction on the 7th.
Jupiter is low over the western horizon at sunset local time and sets 1-2 hours after the Sun.
Saturn is visible over the southwestern horizon at sunset local time and sets 3-4 hours after the Sun.

Star Maps and More
Visit bobs-spaces for regular updates on what is up.
Contact Me

E-Mail Starwalk
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Previous Issue

Click on this link to read the Previous Issue of Qué tal? in the Current Skies

Credits and Privacy

Click here to read the Privacy Statement for this web site (I don't bite!!), and about this web site and me.


      
October Sky Calendar

02. Last Quarter Moon
04. Moon at Ascending Node
      Waning Crescent Moon near Beehive Star Cluster
      World Space Week (October 4-10)
05. Waning Crescent Moon near Regulus
      Moon at Perigee: 227,668 miles (366,396 km)
07. Dwarf Planet Ceres in Solar Conjunction
09. New Moon
11. Waxing Crescent Moon near Jupiter
      
      
      

15. Waxing Crescent Moon near Saturn
16. First Quarter Moon
      Mars Winter Solstice
17. Moon at Descending Node
      Moon at Apogee: 251,175 miles (404,227 km)
18. Waxing Gibbous Moon near Mars
20. International Observe the Moon Night
21. Orionid Meteor Shower
23. Sun Not Really in astrological sign of Scorpius
      
      
      
      

24. Uranus at Opposition
      Full Moon
26. Venus at Inferior Conjunction
      Aldebaran 1.6°S of Moon
28. European Summer Time Ends
29. Mercury 3.1° of Jupiter
31. Moon at Ascending Node
      Sun Enters Astronomical Sign of Libra
      Waning Gibbous Moon near Beehive Star Cluster
      Last Quarter Moon
      Moon at Perigee: 230,032 miles (370,201 km)
      
      
October 3September 3 - 5:00 am CDT
October 5October 5 - 5 am CDT
October 5October 5 - Moon at Perigee:
227,668 miles (366,396 km)
October 11October 11 - 8 pm CDT
October October 12 - 8 pm CDT
October 14October 14 - 8 pm CDT
October 17October 17 - Moon at Apogee:
230,032 miles (370,201 km)
October 17October 17 - 8 pm CDT
October 18October 18 - 8 pm CDT
October 24October 24 - Uranus at Opposition
October 26October 26 - Venus at Inferior Conjunction
October 26October 26 - 9:00 pm CDT
October 29October 29 - 6:45 pm CDT
October 31October 31 - 3:00 am CDT
October 31October 31 - Moon at Perigee:
230,032 miles (370,201 km)
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Above the Solar System at 10 day Intervals

Heliocentric Coordinaes

Name October 03 October 13 October 23
Mercury 219o 34' 248o 16' 275o 55'
Venus 355o 30' 011o 25' 027o 322
Earth 009o 44' 019o 36' 029o 32'
Mars 346o 53' 353o 13' 359o 30'
Ceres 193o 50' 196o 30' 198o 40'
Jupiter 239o 43' 240o 29' 241o 16'
Saturn 278o 47' 279o 05' 279o 23'
Plot planet positions using polar graph paper that you can download from this web site - or at that web site create your own.


Above the Terrestrial Planets at 10 day Intervals
Local Time CST (UT-6)


Some Astronomy Web Links


    Click here.

Credits and Privacy

Click here to read the Privacy Statement for this web site (I don't bite!!), and about this web site and me.

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