Five Astronomical Events to Watch in the Autumn Sky This Year

As autumn begins in the Northern Hemisphere, the nights grow longer, providing an excellent opportunity for stargazers to observe the night sky.

In the coming months, you can witness a range of stunning celestial displays, from captivating meteor showers to dazzling star clusters. The sequence of events begins with the Pleiades star cluster.

Later, towards the end of October, the Orionid meteor shower occurs, followed by a planetary parade in November, the Leonid meteor shower, and a series of consecutive supermoons.

As autumn evenings lengthen, one prominent star cluster becomes increasingly visible in the sky.

The Pleiades cluster is also known as the Seven Sisters. In Nepal and India, it is often called the Krittika cluster.

Located approximately 440 light-years from Earth, six stars in this cluster are visible to the naked eye, with additional stars discernible through telescopes.

During autumn evenings, looking towards the eastern sky within the Taurus constellation provides a clear view of this cluster.

The Orionid meteor shower is active from October through November, peaking around October 21.

This meteor shower occurs as Earth passes through debris left by Halley’s Comet.

When these particles enter the atmosphere at high speed, they heat up and produce bright streaks of light we observe as meteors.

This meteor shower appears to originate from the Orion constellation, which is why it is called the Orionids.

For optimal viewing, choose a dark location with minimal artificial light and allow your eyes time to adjust to the darkness.

On or around November 14, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter will appear together in the morning sky.

This alignment is known as a planetary parade.

These four planets will be visible above the horizon before sunrise, with some easier to spot than others.

Mercury may be challenging to observe due to its proximity to the horizon and the rising sun’s glare.

However, Venus and Jupiter are among the brightest objects in the night sky and should be easy to spot.

Following mid-November, the Leonid meteor shower will light up the sky, with peak visibility around November 17.

Leonid meteors travel at approximately 70 kilometers per second when they enter Earth’s atmosphere, making them among the fastest meteor showers.

Under favorable weather and dark skies, observers can expect to see 10 to 15 meteors per hour, although exact numbers depend on weather conditions, light pollution, and moon brightness.

This meteor shower appears to originate from the Leo constellation, hence the name Leonids.

The best viewing times are after midnight when Leo is high in the sky, and before dawn.

The full moon in November is known as the Beaver Moon, named after the beaver animal that traditionally prepares its lodge and stores food in late autumn before winter.

This year, the full moon falling after Tihar on November 24 will be a supermoon. This means the moon will appear larger and brighter than on a typical full moon.

A supermoon occurs when the full moon is at its closest point to Earth, making it appear bigger and more luminous.

Supermoons will be visible at each full moon up until February 2027, with the November supermoon being the first in this series of four.

To enjoy this rare astronomical event, be sure to check weather conditions before heading out for nighttime sky observations.