THE SKY TONIGHT: OCTOBER 2025

The Casual Observer 

October brings america into nan play of Kambarang, and pinch it, a noticeable summation successful warmer weather. The clear skies coming awesome opportunities for stargazing. The Milky Way is successful nan occidental entity during October evenings, marked by Scorpius and nan agleam reddish Antares astatine its heart.  

Caption: The Milky Way and Scorpius are successful nan occidental entity during October.
Credit: Stellarium.

Mercury makes for bully watching during nan 2nd half of nan period arsenic it reaches its maximum separation from nan Sun successful nan sky. You tin spot it connected nan occidental sky aft sunset, alongside nan faint Mars. On October 20 nan 2 planets scope their closest, separated by astir 2 degrees. Mercury will beryllium brighter magnitude –0.19 and Mars is faint magnitude 1.45. They are joined by nan New Moon connected October 23. 

Caption: Mercury, Mars and nan Moon are adjacent together successful nan occidental entity connected October 23.
Credit: Stellarium

The Orionids meteor ablution peaks connected October 21. The constellation doesn’t emergence until astir midnight truthful nan champion clip to spot this ablution is successful nan early hours of nan greeting successful nan northeastern sky.  

Meteors successful this ablution really originate from Halley’s comet. Tiny specks of particulate that were ejected from nan comet hundreds of years agone concisely ray up nan entity pinch streaks arsenic they are swept up by Earth, a spot for illustration nan proverbial alert connected nan windscreen. In bully conditions you mightiness expect to spot a meteor each fewer minutes. 

Image: Apparent location of Orionids meteor shower.
Credit: Stellarium. 

ISS sightings from Perth 

The International Space Station passes overhead aggregate times a day. Most of these passes are excessively faint to spot but a mates of notable sightings* are: 

Table: Times and dates to spot nan ISS from Perth 
Source: Heavens above, Spot nan Station 

*Note: These predictions are only meticulous a fewer days successful advance. Check nan sources linked for much precise predictions connected nan time of your observations. 

Moon phases 

Full Moon: October 7 

Last Quarter: October 14 

New Moon: October 21 

First Quarter: October 30 

Dates of interest 

October 20: Mercury and Mars closest approach 

October 21: Orionids Meteor Shower peaks 

October 23: Mercury, Mars and Moon together successful occidental sky 

Planets to look for 

Mercury makes for bully watching successful nan occidental entity during October evenings. The faint Mars is location arsenic well, though this is not a awesome clip to spot it. 

Saturn is visible successful nan eastbound entity aft sunset and ambles crossed nan entity complete nan people of nan night. Jupiter is rising astatine astir 2am truthful is champion viewed successful nan northeastern entity earlier sunrise. 

Caption: Location of Jupiter and Saturn earlier sunrise during October. Uranus is visible arsenic well, pinch a telescope.
Credit: Stellarium

Venus is not really worthy looking astatine this month, debased connected nan eastbound sky earlier sunrise. In nan coming months it will vanish down nan Sun until astir February wherever it will look successful nan nighttime sky.  

Constellation of nan month 

Triangulum Australe – The Southern Triangle 

Triangulum Australe is simply a mini constellation edging connected nan Milky Way successful nan acold confederate sky. Its 3 brightest stars, Alpha, Beta and Gamma TrA shape a astir equilateral triangle opinionated retired from nan inheritance stars. 

Caption: Triangulum Australe is astir arsenic literal arsenic they get.
Credit: Stellarium 

Being truthful acold south, nan constellation is circumpolar, meaning that it ne'er goes beneath nan sky arsenic seen from Perth truthful is visible each night, each nighttime of nan year. During October evenings you tin find it successful nan south-southwest, conscionable supra nan pointers.  

Caption: Location of Trianuglum Australe successful nan sky.
Credit: Stellarium

Despite bordering nan set of nan Milky Way, location are comparatively fewer agleam objects aliases heavy entity targets wrong nan constellation. Perhaps it is champion to beryllium backmost and bask nan style for what it is. 

Caption: Very important shape.
Credit: xkcd

Object for nan mini telescope 

Mercury and Globular Cluster NGC 5897 

Mercury is successful nan champion location this twelvemonth to spot it, arsenic its maximum separation from nan Sun arsenic viewed from Earth intends it will beryllium visible a spot later than accustomed aft sunset, particularly towards nan extremity of October. If you’re looking astir October 22/23 you mightiness drawback show of nan inheritance globular cluster NGC 5897 arsenic well.  

Caption: Apparent locations of Mercury and NGC 5897 (top) connected October 22.
Credit: Stellarium