Two planetary conjunctions involving Saturn are visible from the UK this month. However, they will be very low in the eastern pre-dawn sky and there won’t be much time to observe them before it gets too light to see
them easily with the naked eye.

In the early morning of 8 October Mercury will be 0.3º from Saturn in the sky, and at 11.00 in the morning of 13 October Venus will be 0.5º from Saturn. These two events effectively form a triple conjunction or what some are describing as a ‘three-way planetary dance’, visible between 8-16 October. On 16 October they will be joined in the pre-dawn sky by the waning Moon.

Astrologers seem particularly excited about the multiple conjunction (though ideas as to its significance vary considerably) and some astrology blogs actually have more detail about the exact timings of the events than astronomy sites.

Then on 21-22 October the annual Orionids meteor shower reaches its maximum, with a likely average of 25 meteors per hour at its peak. However, recent years have produced much stronger showers so the rate could be even higher. The Orionids are fast meteors with fine trains, associated with Halley’s Comet. Conditions for observing should be favourable and moonlight will not be a problem.

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