October's supermoon will be sandwiched between 2 meteor showers
"Meteor shower season" is about to kick off in the night sky with two opportunities to spot shooting stars. Plus, a rare comet has appeared and may get brighter.
From a pair of meteor showers to a glowing supermoon, here are the top astronomy events for October 2024.
Autumn is sometimes referred to as "meteor shower season" as there are more meteor showers than any other season of the year. October alone will feature two such light shows, as well as one of the brightest full moons of 2024.
October may also bring the rare chance to see a comet, with some photographers already capturing astounding images of Comet C/2023 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in the morning sky. Early risers should have more opportunities to spot the comet throughout the month.
Comet C2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas is seen over the hills near the village of Aguas Blancas, Lavalleja Department, Uruguay, at dawn on September 28, 2024. (Photo by MARIANA SUAREZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Oct. 7-8: Draconid meteor shower
The second week of the month will kick off with the Draconid meteor shower, the first meteor shower since mid-August.
The Draconids have occasionally burst into spectacular meteor storms, dazzling onlookers with thousands of shooting stars per hour. The most recent of these awe-inspiring displays occurred in 2011 and 2018, according to EarthSky.
Unfortunately, such an outburst event is unlikely this year, with the Draconids offering stargazers a modest show of around 10 meteors per hour on the night of Monday, Oct. 7, into the early hours of Tuesday, Oct. 8.
Oct. 17-18: Super Hunter Moon
Fall's first full moon will be one of the brightest of the year as a supermoon illuminates the night sky on the nights of Oct. 17 and Oct. 18. This will be the third of four consecutive supermoons in 2024, appearing a smidge bigger and brighter than a normal full moon.
The moon rises behind the church in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
October's full moon is also known as the Hunter Moon, as it is the time of year when hunters would traditionally begin hunting to store meat and other food ahead of the winter months.
Other nicknames for October's full moon include the Falling Leaves Moon, the Migrating Moon and the Freezing Moon.
Oct. 20-21: Orionid meteor shower
The mid-October Orionids are typically one of the best meteor showers of autumn; however, this year, the event may fizzle rather than sizzle due to another astronomical sight in the sky.
Most years, the Orionids offers stargazers around 20 shooting stars per hour, double that of the Draconids earlier in the month.
In 2024, the nearly full moon "will severely hamper views of this display" on the night of Oct. 20 into the early morning of Oct. 21, according to the American Meteor Society.
Onlookers should still be able to spot a handful of shooting stars throughout the night, especially after midnight local time. For the best chance of seeing meteors, experts recommend focusing on dark areas of the sky where the moon is out of sight.
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