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New Moon, October 2013
Friday, Oct. 4, 8:34 p.m. EDT. The moon is not visible on the date of New Moon because it is too close to the sun, but can be seen low in the east as a narrow crescent a morning or two before, just before sunrise. It is visible low in the west an evening or two after New Moon.
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First Quarter Moon, October 2013
Friday, Oct. 11, 7:02 p.m. EDT. The First Quarter Moon rises around 2:00 p.m. and sets around 12:30 a.m. It dominates the evening sky.
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Full Moon, October 2013
Friday, Oct. 18, 7:38 p.m. EDT. This is the first Full Moon following the Harvest Moon last month, and so is known as the Hunter’s Moon. It rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, the only night in the month when the moon is in the sky all night long. The rest of the month, the moon spends at least some time in the daytime sky.
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Last Quarter Moon, October 2013
Saturday, Oct. 26, 7:40 p.m. EDT. The Last Quarter Moon rises around 11:30 p.m. and sets around 2:00 p.m. It is most easily seen just after sunrise in the southern sky.
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Zodiacal Light, October 2013
Thursday–Thursday, Oct. 3–17, before morning twilight. This faint light reflected from countless pieces of interplanetary material will be visible in dark skies for the next two weeks. It rises in a conical shape along the ecliptic before morning twilight.
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Uranus at Opposition, October 2013
Thursday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m. EDT. The planet Uranus will be in opposition to the sun, and visible all night.
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Saturn, Mercury, and the Moon, October 2013
Sunday, Oct. 6, evening twilight. A triple conjunction low in the southwest just after sunset.
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Mercury at Greatest Elongation East, October 2013
Wednesday, Oct. 9, evening twilight. Mercury will be at its greatest elongation east of the setting Sun, but this will be an unfavorable opposition because of the low angle of the ecliptic to the horizon. Saturn will be 5 degrees above Mercury.
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Triple Shadow Transit on Jupiter, October 2013
Friday/Saturday, Oct. 11/12, 12:32–1:37 a.m. EDT. It is very rare that three of Jupiter’s moons cast their shadows on Jupiter simultaneously. This will be visible tonight in telescopes with at least 90 mm. aperture.
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Juno and the Moon, October 2013
Saturday, Oct. 12, 10 p.m. EDT. The 9th magnitude asteroid Juno will be just north of the 9-day-old gibbous moon, and close to the two wide double stars in western Capricornus, Algedi and Dabih.
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Comet ISON, Mars, and Regulus, October 2013
Tuesday, Oct. 15, before dawn. An unusual grouping of a comet, a planet and a star, as Comet ISON puts in an early appearance. This image is based on early estimates of ISON’s brightness. It now is known to be nowhere as bright as shown, but may be visible in binoculars.
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Venus and Antares, October 2013
Wednesday, Oct. 16, after sunset. Look just below Venus for the red giant star Antares. If you look carefully, you may also be able to spot Mercury and Saturn.
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Double Shadow Transit on Jupiter, October 2013
Wednesday/Thursday, Oct. 16/17, 4:57–7:09 a.m. PDT. Observers on the West Coast will have the best chance of seeing this event, which mostly takes place after sunrise in the East.
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Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, October 2013
Friday/Saturday, Oct. 18/19, 2:25–4:37 a.m. EDT. The Moon will pass through the edge (penumbra) of the Earth’s shadow just after moonrise on the East Coast of North America. This eclipse is very slight, so you will have to look closely so as not to miss it. Look for a shading on the lower half of the Full Moon. It will also be visible in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
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Double Shadow Transit on Jupiter #2, October 2013
Friday/Saturday, Oct. 18/19, 2:25–4:37 a.m. EDT. Most of this event will be visible all across North America.
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Double Shadow Transit on Jupiter #3, October 2013
Friday/Saturday, Oct. 25/26, 4:37–6:31 a.m. EDT. All of this event will be visible all across North America.
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Mercury, October 2013
Mercury is well placed in the evening sky for observers in the southern hemisphere, but very low for northern observers.
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Venus, October 2013
Venus is now a bright “evening star” setting just after the sun.
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Mars, October 2013
Mars is now a bright object in Leo in the morning sky. Mars will have a close encounter with Comet ISON on Oct. 15.
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Jupiter, October 2013
Jupiter is the brightest object in the morning sky all month. It is located in Gemini. There are several double shadow transits this month, plus a very rare triple shadow transit on Oct. 11/12.
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Saturn, October 2013
Saturn vanishes into evening twilight this month.
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Uranus, October 2013
Uranus is in opposition on Oct. 3. It is visible in Pisces all night.
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Neptune, October 2013
Neptune is visible in Aquarius most of the night, setting around 3 a.m.
