The October Sky by Diane Burton

I’m not usually a skywatcher, but October will probably convert me. So much goes on in the sky this month. We can see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, which reminds me of the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider when all the planets aligned.

Last week, we had a total eclipse of the moon—and a blood moon at that. Isn’t this a fantastic sight? 

Next Sunday, Comet Siding Spring will barely miss Mars. Although we won’t be able to see that “close encounter” in the sky, we will on our computers, thanks to all the probes in area. Can you imagine what that will look like from Mars? The robots will get quite a view.

As if that isn’t enough, the Orionid meteor shower is coming next Monday/Tuesday. If the sky isn’t cloudy, I might just take a blanket to the Lake Michigan beach around midnight. I’ll have to convince Hubs to go with me. Sounds like a romantic evening, if we can stay awake.

Then on the 23^rd, we’ll have a partial solar eclipse. Protect your eyes, folks.

For more exciting sky happenings, check out: http://www.space.com/27303-lunar-solar-eclipses-october-meteor-shower.html?cmpid=558390

Another great source is http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/earthskys-meteor-shower-guide

Now for a fun factoid. The gang from “Firefly” are going to reunite to provide the voices for an online interactive game that will be released next year. Now I’m not a gamer, but I might be convinced to play this one and indulge my fantasy of crewing for Captain Mal. For more info on the game, see https://keepflying.com/

I’ll bet I could come up with several stories based on an October sky. How about you?