The most prominent astronomical events that the world will witness during the month of October

Weather of Arabia - More than a month has passed since the dazzling celestial display of the Perseid meteor showers, which reached their peak in mid-August, but there is good news for those who missed the annual summer scene and for astronomers who are waiting for another show of meteor showers, as October will provide two opportunities for Shooting shows.

There is an added advantage in October for keeping track of astronomical events. Since the autumnal equinox on September 22nd, the length of the nights has been gradually increasing at the expense of the length of the days in the northern hemisphere, and the longer nights will provide some great views of the astronomical events that we will witness during the month of October.

Here are the three most important astronomical events for the month of October that you can record so that you do not miss it, or share the article with friends who love astronomical phenomena:

1- Dragon Meteor Showers - Draconids

Peak time: October 8-9

The first week of October concludes with the peak of the Dragon Meteor showers, and the best period to watch these meteors from Earth will be from sunset until midnight , unlike other meteor showers, which is the best period to watch during the second half of the night when most people are immersed in deep sleep.

Dragon meteors or dragons will appear at a rate of 10 meteors per hour , and they are slow-moving and reddish, and this is another characteristic that distinguishes them from the rest of the meteor showers, and in the period of their appearance this year, the moon will be in the phase of the increasing crescent and its light will not hinder the process of observing the meteors.

Most meteor showers have a peak that lasts two or three nights, but the peak of the Dragon Meteor showers is short, and they occur on the night of October 8-9, which falls on Friday/Saturday this year.

2- Triple alignment of Jupiter and Saturn with the Moon

Event time: October 14

Jupiter and Saturn have featured prominently in the night sky in recent months, and mid-October will present another great opportunity to see Jupiter and Saturn, while the moon appears almost directly in between the duo.

It would be easy to see these triangle of orbs in the southern sky right after dark on October 14 with the three glowing together almost all night long.

Venus will also shine in the night sky, appearing much brighter than Jupiter, but will be closer to the southwest horizon, and the sight of Jupiter and Saturn will be distinguished with the moon, appearing below the horizon about two hours after sunset.

The planets can be seen on that night with the naked eye and without the need for a telescope, but this will be a great opportunity to take an enlarged picture of Jupiter and Saturn, and see the details of the two planets using the telescope before the arrival of the cold winter nights.

3- Orionid meteor showers

Peak time: October 20-21

Less than two weeks after the Draconids, the Orionids will reach their peak, usually one of the best meteor showers in the fall.

Most meteor showers can be traced back to comet debris, and the comet responsible for annual Orionids is not the famous Halley's Comet, which is next expected to appear in Earth's sky in 2061.

In most years, about 20 meteors per hour can be seen during the height of the Orionids, but the brightness of the moon will hinder this year's meteor sighting, which will shine at almost full moon length throughout the night, making it difficult to see the faint meteors.

For those who wish to see these meteors, they can observe the sky on the night of Wednesday, October 20, until the early hours of Thursday, October 21, and choose a dark part of the sky away from the bright moon.

After the end of October, there will be a few more meteor showers before the end of 2021, including the Leonids in November and the famous Geminids in December.