NASA’s monthly guide highlights Saturn’s Oct. 4 opposition, the Orionid meteor shower peak later in the month and the Moon’s pass near the Pleiades on Oct. 27–28.
NASA’s October 2026 skywatching guide highlights Saturn at opposition, the Orionid meteor shower and the Moon’s close passes by Jupiter and the Pleiades.
October’s skywatching dates
- Oct. 4: Saturn reaches opposition, when Earth passes between the planet and the Sun. NASA says Saturn will rise around sunset and remain visible for much of the night.
- Oct. 6: A thin crescent Moon appears near Jupiter before sunrise.
- Oct. 21–22: The Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak. The shower’s meteors come from debris left by Halley’s Comet and appear to radiate from the direction of Orion, though they can streak across any part of the sky, NASA says. Moonlight may wash out some of the fainter meteors; viewing after moonset in the hours before dawn may offer a better chance to see them.
- Oct. 27–28: The Moon passes near the Pleiades, also called the Seven Sisters. NASA recommends looking east in the evening as the Moon and star cluster climb higher in the sky.