NASA Skywatching tips – What’s Up October 2026

Last Updated on October 2, 2026 by Cass County Communication Network

What’s Up: October 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA | NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech, Raquel Villanueva, science.nasa.gov/skywatching

Saturn takes center stage, a meteor shower lights up the sky, and the Moon visits the Seven Sisters.

Skywatching Highlights

· Oct. 4: Saturn reaches opposition, making the ringed planet visible for much of the night

· Oct. 6: A thin crescent Moon appears close to bright Jupiter before sunrise

· Oct. 21-22: The Orionid meteor shower peaks; moonlight may interfere, so look before dawn after moonset

· Oct. 27-28: The Moon passes near the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters

Halloween-like Images of Astronomy Picture Of Day:

APOD: 2004 October 30 – Pumpkin Moon – NASA Science

Credit: professional astronomer Sebastien Gauthie

APOD: 2024 October 31 – Rigel and the Witch Head Nebula – NASA Science

Credit: Simone Curzi

APOD: 2025 October 30 – Lynds Dark Nebula 43 – NASA Science

Credit: Team Ciel Austral

APOD: 2025 October 29 – Dust Shapes of the Ghost Nebula – NASA Science

Credit: Kent Wood

SOURCE: Press release from Solar System Ambassador Pam Roller