Hunter’s Full Moon and Meteor Showers will Dazzle the October Night Sky
October's night sky will dazzle with several meteor showers and the Hunter's Full Moon.
October 5th: Peak of the Camelopardalid Meteor Shower
Camelopardalis is a large constellation that sits between Ursa Major and Cassiopeia, according to Space Tourism Guide. The Camelopardalids will peak this year on the night of October 5th. Camelopardalids are not the most active and only peak at a maximum of 5 meteors per hour.
October 6th: New Moon
Skies will be dark as we welcome the new moon. It will allow for better observation of the Camelopardalid Meteor Shower as well as other far-off space objects that would normally be harder to observe with a brightly lit moon.
October 8th: Peak of the Draconid Meteor Shower
The Draconids is a minor meteor shower producing only about 10 meteors per hour, according to seasky.org. It is produced by dust grains left behind by a comet that was first discovered in 1900. The best time to view will be in the early evening from a dark location far away from city lights or early morning before sunrise. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco but can also appear anywhere in the sky.
October 20th: The Hunter's Full Moon
This full Moon is often referred to as the Full Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon, or Sanguine Moon. Native Americans named this bright moon for obvious reasons, according to the Farmers Almanac. The leaves are falling from trees, the deer are fattened, and it’s time to begin storing up meat for the long winter ahead. Because the fields were traditionally harvested in late September or early October, hunters could easily see foxes and other animals that come out to eat from the fallen grains.
October 21st and 22nd: Orionids Meteor Shower
The Orionids are an annual meteor shower that lasts about one week in late October. This year they peak the night of October 21st and early morning hours of the 22nd. In some years, meteors may occur at rates of 50 to70 per hour with an average of 20 meteors per hour. The full moon on the 20th may make meteor viewing hard this year. The Orionids are so-called because the point they appear to come from, called the radiant, lies in the constellation Orion, but they can be seen over a large area of the sky, according to wikipedia.
The way the weather goes in Michigan, you have to have a good sense of humor. In 24-hours, Michigan residents sometimes can experience all four seasons. Keep scrolling for some of that true Michigan humor.