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Amateur stargazers and professional astronomers are in for a treat in October, when three bright planets will be easily visible in the night sky.
Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are so luminous this time of the year that they can occasionally be seen during daylight hours.
Although Mars fades throughout October, the red planet still shines more brightly than a 1st-magnitude star. Use Mars to find Saturn, where it lies just above the red star Antares. Then, look further southwest to see Jupiter as it blazes brilliantly in the evening sky.
You'll want to find a good spot for the week of Oct. 17 through 25, when the Orionid meteor shower can be seen by the naked eye. The meteor shower will peak on Oct. 20, and the best time for viewing is usually after midnight.
If you want a private exhibition of this phenomena, here is a list of the best places near Sacramento to watch this natural splendor:
- Ice House Observing Platform
- Black Butte Lake
- Rancho Seco Regional Park
- Lake Berryessa
- Forest Hill Bridge, Auburn
- The Community Observatory, Placerville
- Oroville Dam
- Salmon Falls Bridge, Folsom
- Meeks Bay, Lake Tahoe
These locations are perfect for seeing the stars, due to the low light pollution and unobstructed views of the sky.
You can watch the celestial event with UC Davis’s Astronomy Club, who’s hosting their first public viewing this Friday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. on the roof of the UC Davis Physics Building. The event is free and family-friendly.
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