Our mid-Missouri October skies feature the arrival of our fall (& winter!) stars, along with a parade of planets and the Moon. Look for Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars throughout the month, along with the peak of the Orionid meteor shower in late October.

Feature: BCNS Observatory

A new local observatory has arrived in Columbia at the Boone County Nature School property! The Boone County Nature School officially opened its school doors in August 2024, and features a 111-acre campus, a four classroom school building, and an observatory dome with a 9.25-inch Cassegrain telescope. The observatory will be used by students visiting the Nature School, but will also be open for public star gazing events, and will eventually be available for scout troops and STEM clubs to use after dark.

October Moon & Planet Viewing

Throughout October, the Moon will make a few passes near our visible planets. On October 14th, the Moon will pass close to the planet Saturn in the constellation Aquarius. Part of the constellation of Pisces, called “The Circlet” will also be nearby. Very early on October 23rd, the waning gibbous Moon will approach Mars in the constellation Gemini. The bright stars Castor & Pollux will be nearby.

If you are an early riser, Mars and Jupiter are easily seen in the mornings around 2 hours before sunrise. Jupiter is currently in the constellation Taurus the Bull and Mars is close to the constellation Gemini the Twins.

Orionid Meteor Shower

What Is It?
The peak of the Orionid meteor shower is approaching, and usually peaks around October 20/21. This meteor shower is so named due to the meteors appearing to radiate from the constellation Orion, which is visible in the early morning hours before sunrise.

The Orionids are caused by Earth’s movement through the Comet Halley’s debris tail. While meteors are more commonly called “shooting stars”, they are not stars at all, but tiny particles of dust and rock that burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. This is the second meteor shower of the year caused by Halley’s Comet, the first being the Eta Aquariids seen in May.

How to View
No special equipment or cameras are necessary to view this meteor shower. You simply need a relatively dark sky, appropriate clothing, and lots of patience!
→ Get to the darkest sky possible that you can. If you are backyard meteor-watching, turn off any indoor or outdoor lights that are visible (if possible) and try to find a spot that blocks any street lights or other house lights from view.
→ Be sure to dress for the weather and grab a blanket or comfortable chair.
→ Sit or lie down in your chosen viewing spot. It may take 10-20 minutes for your eyes to get used to the dark. Try not to look at screens or lights while watching for meteors.