An razor thin Crescent Moon passes several degrees from Venus, very low in the west-southwestern sky a half hour after sunset. This is a difficult observation due to the lowness in the sky, but makes a nice sight for anyone lucky enough to catch it. In addition, Mars is about 12-13 degrees to the right (North) of the Moon, but sighting it with the unaided eye is unlikely.

On Friday evening the Crescent Moon approaches Antares (in Scorpius) from the right (West); and on Saturday evening it is roughly the same distance to the left. Look low in the early evening southwestern sky. The closest approach is about 7 a.m. EDT on Saturday morning, but neither are visible from North America at that time, although it appears as an occultation as seen from parts of African and Australia.

This event cannot be observed, but it marks the time that Mercury technically moves from the evening sky to the morning sky, and it becomes a reasonably easy sight in the morning sky by mid-month.

As with the Moon and Antares on the 3rd and 4th, on the 6th the nearly First Quarter Moon approaches Jupiter (in Scorpius) from the right (West) on Monday evening, and recedes from it as viewed on Tuesday evening. Effectively this means that the Moon is below Jupiter on Monday evening and above it to the left on Tuesday evening. The closest passage is about 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning, after which both objects have gone down for North America, although observers farther West are favored, and Hawaiian observers have a nice view of the closest approach before local moonset on Monday evening.

"Half Moon" seems more descriptive, since half the Moon is illuminated (the right half, giving it a letter "D" appearance). However, since it has completed the first 25 percent of its current orbit, it is the "First Quarter Moon." It is well up in the southern sky at sunset, and sets around midnight.

An razor thin Crescent Moon passes several degrees from Venus, very low in the west-southwestern sky a half hour after sunset. This is a difficult observation due to the lowness in the sky, but makes a nice sight for anyone lucky enough to catch it. In addition, Mars is about 12-13 degrees to the right (North) of the Moon, but sighting it with the unaided eye is unlikely.

On Friday evening the Crescent Moon approaches Antares (in Scorpius) from the right (West); and on Saturday evening it is roughly the same distance to the left. Look low in the early evening southwestern sky. The closest approach is about 7 a.m. EDT on Saturday morning, but neither are visible from North America at that time, although it appears as an occultation as seen from parts of African and Australia.

As with the Moon and Antares on the 3rd and 4th, on the 6th the nearly First Quarter Moon approaches Jupiter (in Scorpius) from the right (West) on Monday evening, and recedes from it as viewed on Tuesday evening. Effectively this means that the Moon is below Jupiter on Monday evening and above it to the left on Tuesday evening. The closest passage is about 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning, after which both objects have gone down for North America, although observers farther West are favored, and Hawaiian observers have a nice view of the closest approach before local moonset on Monday evening.

An razor thin Crescent Moon passes several degrees from Venus, very low in the west-southwestern sky a half hour after sunset. This is a difficult observation due to the lowness in the sky, but makes a nice sight for anyone lucky enough to catch it. In addition, Mars is about 12-13 degrees to the right (North) of the Moon, but sighting it with the unaided eye is unlikely.

On Friday evening the Crescent Moon approaches Antares (in Scorpius) from the right (West); and on Saturday evening it is roughly the same distance to the left. Look low in the early evening southwestern sky. The closest approach is about 7 a.m. EDT on Saturday morning, but neither are visible from North America at that time, although it appears as an occultation as seen from parts of African and Australia.

This event cannot be observed, but it marks the time that Mercury technically moves from the evening sky to the morning sky, and it becomes a reasonably easy sight in the morning sky by mid-month.

As with the Moon and Antares on the 3rd and 4th, on the 6th the nearly First Quarter Moon approaches Jupiter (in Scorpius) from the right (West) on Monday evening, and recedes from it as viewed on Tuesday evening. Effectively this means that the Moon is below Jupiter on Monday evening and above it to the left on Tuesday evening. The closest passage is about 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning, after which both objects have gone down for North America, although observers farther West are favored, and Hawaiian observers have a nice view of the closest approach before local moonset on Monday evening.

"Half Moon" seems more descriptive, since half the Moon is illuminated (the right half, giving it a letter "D" appearance). However, since it has completed the first 25 percent of its current orbit, it is the "First Quarter Moon." It is well up in the southern sky at sunset, and sets around midnight.

Mercury starts the month too close to the Sun to be seen, being in inferior conjunction on the 6th. Later in the month it is well up in the predawn eastern sky, reaching greatest western elongation on the 18th (about 22 degrees from the Sun).

Venus has reassumed dominance in the early evening sky, if low to the west-south west and visible only for a short time after dark. On the first and last days of the month the thin Crescent Moon passes nearby.

Mars, moving from Virgo to Libra at mid-month, is pretty much a lost cause, being too close to the Sun to be seen easily.

After the Moon and Venus, Jupiter is certainly the most impressive object in the October evening sky. It is high to the south at sunset, and goes down in the southwestern sky in late evening.

Still in Leo, Saturn has emerged in the morning eastern sky. It is only slightly brighter than nearby Regulus, but shines with a steadier light.