Overview

• Early highlights include Ceres at opposition on October 2, a close Moon–Saturn pairing October 5–6, and the Hunter’s supermoon the nights of October 6–7 as the Moon nears perigee.
• The Orionids peak October 20–21 near the new moon, with estimates around 20–30 meteors per hour under dark skies and best viewing in the pre-dawn hours.
• The Draconids are forecast to peak around October 8 after dusk, while the Southern Taurids offer lighter activity mid‑month and additional minor showers dot the calendar.
• A run of comet milestones is slated: C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) perihelion on October 8, C/2025 R2 SWAN perigee October 19, C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) perigee October 21, and interstellar 3I/ATLAS perihelion October 29, though brightness is uncertain and binoculars may help.
• Lunar occultations and planet views punctuate the month, including lunar meetings with the Pleiades (Oct 10), Regulus (Oct 16) and Antares (Oct 24), a Mercury–Mars conjunction at dawn on Oct 19, and Mercury’s greatest eastern elongation after sunset on Oct 29; observers are advised to seek dark sites and allow 20–30 minutes for dark adaptation.