Full Moon tonight, Mars opposition, and other Celestial events in October.

Hey Patrons, 

Another harvest moon is upon us tonight, so watch for a bright full moon rising in the Eastern sky at sunset. The moon's orbit does not bring it high into the sky (from the Northern Hemisphere) this month, so it is a good time to photograph it against landscape elements such as trees, buildings, and mountains. Shooting details is more difficult due to the additional atmosphere present when shooting at a low angle. Another highlight this month is the martian opposition, which only happens once every two years. 

October 1st- Harvest Moon
The full moon closest to Equinox is known as the harvest moon, due to the timing with falling autumn leaves and traditional hunting periods. A great time to catch a large bright moon on the horizon at sunset. I will do my best to shoot it through the smoke. 

October 1st- Mercury at greatest Eastern Elongation
This is the best time to view/capture Mercury, since it is at the furthest angular distance from the sun, allowing an opportunity to see it just after sunset. Look to the western skies for a star close to the horizon (an app like sky safari is really helpful here)

October 6th- Mars is closest to Earth
Not to be confused with opposition (which happens shortly after) this is when Mars is at its closest to Earth. The days around this period are generally the best time to observe, which includes opposition the following week. This is also the closest Mars will be to Earth for a whopping 15 years. 

October 7th- Draconids meteor shower peak
This meteor shower will be visible in Early evening. While not producing a lot of meteors, this one is easier than most for the casual observer since the most meteors are visible right after sunset, so staying up all night is not necessary. The moon will also help, since the last quarter moon doesn't rise until the middle of the night. 

October 13th- Mars at Opposition
Mars will be the largest and brightest as it has been for two years, and visible all night long. This is the best time to capture photos as well as observe it visually. Northern hemisphere astronomers will also see it high in the sky, as opposed to Jupiter and Saturn which are lower towards the horizon. This means less atmospheric interference and more details are visible. 

October 16th- New Moon
Always the best time of the month to stargaze, this New Moon will give us probably the last view of the milky way of the season, and night owls can stay up and watch the rise of winter constellations. For astrophotographers, this is the best night to shoot broadband. For those of you that voted on my new moon target (which I failed to do due to smoke) I will attempt to capture those targets this evening, weather permitting. 

October 21st/22nd- Orionids Meteor Shower peak
Get to dark skies and be prepared for a long night! This shower is best viewed after midnight, and should give quite a show. A long tracked exposure pointed towards the orion constellation will reveal where these meteors radiate from.

October 29/30th- Southern Taurids meteor shower
Sadly this year is very close to a full moon, but this shower produces the occasional fireball, so bright meteors may still be visible.

October 31st- A very spooky Blue Hunter's Moon
A blue moon is the second full moon within the calendar month, and it happens to occur on Halloween this year. I will try to shoot it with a spooky theme!

October 31st- Uranus at Opposition
The best time to observe Uranus, it rises at sunset and is in the sky all evening. This is also when it is largest and brightest from Earth, although the difference is negligible to even the most dedicated observer. 

Every month there are lunar/planetary conjunctions, as the moon passes along the ecliptic plane near other planets. These are highly dependent on your location, so my advice is to always look up and see where our moon is at night!