What can you see in the night sky tonight? Find out what’s on view in our monthly stargazing guide.
What’s in the night sky tonight?
Those of us who enjoy stargazing and observing the night sky can’t always plan when and where we’re going to get the chance to gaze upwards.
Busy schedules, light pollution, the weather: sometimes finding even just 30 minutes to stand and stare up at a clear, dark night sky and take in the planets, stars and constellations can be a feat in itself.
So when you do find the time, you’ll need to know what’s visible in the night sky tonight, and the best things to look out for when stargazing.
Complete newcomer? Read our guides to the best telescopes for beginners and astronomy for beginners.
Here’s our stargazing guide to what you can see in the night sky tonight.
Our guide is centred around what’s visible from the UK, but all northern hemisphere observers should be able to use it, with the odd adjustment to stated times.
In our guide, we useUniversal Time (UT) and British Summer Time (BST). UT is the standard time used by astronomers around the world. BST is one hour ahead of UT
We also use RA (Right ascension)and dec. (declination).
These coordinates are the night sky’s equivalent of longitude and latitude, describing where an object is on the celestial ‘globe’.
For help with these, read our guide to celestial coordinates.
For more advice, read our guide on how to stargaze or sign up to receive the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter for weekly tips delivered directly to your email inbox.
What’s in the night sky tonight?
Constellations
As autumn approaches, the constellations become subtle. But the bright, dominant patterns of summer remain, such as the Summer Triangle asterism, which sits high just west of south as true darkness arrives.
The foot of the Northern Cross asterism in Cygnus, the Swan is marked by Albireo, representing the swan’s beak.
From here, a procession of small constellations bridges the gap between summer and autumn.
First in line is weak Vulpecula, the Fox, its three ‘brightest’ stars forming a bent line.
The constellation was originally named Vulpecula et Anser, the Fox and the Goose, but it’s not obvious where the goose has gone.
It is still represented by Alpha (α) Vulpeculae which is named Anser.
South of Vulpecula is tiny Sagitta, the Arrow, a pattern that does resemble an arrow.
The sparse globular cluster M71 lies just south of the arrow’s shaft.
Imagine a line from Delta (δ) Sagittae where the arrow’s shaft meets the flight, and Gamma (γ) Sagittae, the arrow’s tip.
Rotate this line 120º about Gamma and where the other end arrives marks the position of the Dumbbell Nebula, M27.
This large, bright planetary nebula is visible with binoculars, while a telescope reveals it to have a shape resembling an apple core.
From Vulpecula, pass through Sagitta to arrive at Delphinus, the Dolphin, a lovely pattern resembling a diamond with a tail.
The diamond is supposed to represent a dolphin’s nose, the ‘tail’ the creature’s neck.
The line of small constellations ends with what must be one of the least distinct constellations in the entire night sky, Equuleus, the Foal.
Equuleus is small and contains no stars brighter than mag. 3.9.
It’s actually the second smallest constellation after Crux, and the two constellations couldn’t be more different.
Crux is packed with bright stars and deep sky objects, but unfortunately is too far south to be seen from the UK.
The foal is over-shadowed by Pegasus, the Flying Horse, the head of which lies east of Equuleus.
As much of an oddity as a flying horse would be in our skies, from the UK Pegasus adds to this by appearing upside down.
The entire constellation represents the front torso, legs and head of the beast.
The torso is marked by a famous asterism known as the Great Square of Pegasus.
Despite not having any sides equal in length and only being formed by three medium bright stars from Pegasus (the fourth star is from Andromeda), the square does stand out well in the autumn night sky.
The fainter and much smaller Circlet asterism in Pisces sits just south of it.
Jupiter
Further to the east is Jupiter, a bright beacon in Aries, the Ram.
Don’t miss a couple of events:
5 October between 22:46 BST (21:46 UT) and 00:52 BST on 6 October (23:52 UT on 5 October), the shadow of Ganymede can be seen transiting Jupiter’s disc near the southern pole.
Ganymede’s and Io’s shadows will be in transit together on 13 October, from 04:43-04:52 BST (03:43-03:52 UT), a double shadow transit.
Another double occurs on the morning of 20 October from 06:48 BST (05:48 UT) under brightening twilight.
Our Moon will appear to the west of Jupiter on the evening of 28 October, when it will pass into Earth’s shadow to produce a small partial lunar eclipse.
October 2023, night-by-night
Sunday 1 October
Rising in the east-northeast around 20:00 BST (19:00 UT), the waning gibbous Moon and mag. –2.7 Jupiter appear 4° apart. At 02:30 BST (01:30 UT) on 2 October, they will be 2.6° apart.
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Tuesday 3 October
As dawn approaches, an 82%-lit waning gibbous Moon lies 1.7° south of the Pleiades.
How to see it:
- Binoculars: 10×50 recommended
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Europa’s shadow starts to transit Jupiter at 02:31 BST (01:31 UT).
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Thursday 5 October
Ganymede’s shadow transits Jupiter near the planet’s southern pole. The event starts at 22:46 BST (21:46 UT) and concludes at 00:52 BST on 6 October (23:52 UT on 5 October).
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Friday 6 October
Lunar libration and phase are good for the south polar region of the Moon in the night sky tonight.
Ganymede transits Jupiter 01:57–03:22 BST (00:57–02:22 UT). Io and its shadow are also in transit towards the end of this event.
How to see both these events:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Saturday 7 October
The clair-obscur effect known as the Cutlass is visible this morning, formed by the Straight Wall, Rupes Recta, and the curving Stag Mountains.
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Sunday 8 October
The Draconid meteor shower reaches its peak tonight and into tomorrow morning. Best chances are when the radiant is higher, as the sky darkens this evening around 20:30 BST (19:30 UT).
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Monday 9 October
As the Moon slips out of the way, the night sky tonight is left nice and dark for observing deep-sky objects.
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Tuesday 10 October
This morning’s 18%-lit Moon sits 7.4° north of mag. –4.4 Venus. Mag. 1.3 Regulus appears 2.3° north of Venus.
The Southern Taurid meteor shower reaches its peak.
How to see both these events:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Wednesday 11 October
As the bright Moon moves out of the way, this is a good time to look for binocular comet 103P/ Hartley 2, currently moving through Gemini and expected to be around mag. 8.3. See page 53 for details.
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Friday 13 October
Ganymede’s shadow transits Jupiter’s south polar regions 02:47–04:52 BST (01:47–03:52 UT).
Io’s shadow transits from 04:43 BST (03:43 UT), making a double shadow transit 04:43–04:52 BST
(03:43–03:52 UT).
The moons transit from 05:18 BST (04:18 UT).
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Friday 20 October
A double Jovian shadow and moon transit occurs as dawn breaks. At 06:38 BST (05:38 UT), Io’s shadow transit begins.
Ganymede’s is at 06:48 BST (05:48 UT). Io transits at 07:02 BST (06:02 UT) and Ganymede at 08:32 BST (07:32 UT) after sunrise.
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Saturday 21 October
The peak of the Orionid meteor shower is expected at midnight tonight. Look up in the night sky tonight and see if you can spot an Orionid meteor.
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Phase and libration are good for the Moon’s north polar region.
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Sunday 22 October
The Moon’s Crater Tycho is best seen this month on 7–8 October, then tonight and tomorrow night 22–23 October, and near the full Moon on 28 October.
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Tuesday 24 October
Venus reaches greatest western elongation. Separated from the Sun by 46.4°, the brilliant naked-eye planet is visible in the morning sky over towards the east at 04:30 BST (03:30 UT).
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Saturday 28 October
A partial lunar eclipse occurs on 28 October. The main (umbral) part of the eclipse occurs between 20:35 BST (19:35 UT) and 21:52 BST (20:52 UT). The full Moon closes in on Jupiter into tomorrow morning.
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Sunday 29 October
British Summer Time ends at 02:00 BST, when the clocks go back to 01:00 UT.
The Moon occults mag. 4.3 Botein (Delta (δ) Arietis) from 23:10 UT tonight.
How to see it:
- Binoculars: 10×50 recommended
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Monday 30 October
Io and its shadow transit very close to one another this evening, the event starting at 20:31 UT.
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR