Meteors, Moons & Comets

Autumn has arrived, and October brings one of the most varied months of night-sky events, from meteor showers to rare comets and a bright lunar spectacle.

October is when our evening skies get noticeably darker for longer, and it’s also regarded as one of the best months for observing the northern lights. Let’s take a look at what we will be seeing in the October sky.

Full Moon / Supermoon – Hunter’s Moon October 7th

The Full Moon on October 7 is also a Supermoon, meaning its full phase occurs when the Moon is near its closest point to Earth (perigee), making it appear slightly larger and brighter. Its monthly traditional name is the Hunter’s Moon and is associated with autumn hunting and preparation for winter.

Gothenburg Moon – Matt Robinson

Draconid Meteor Shower & Potential Outburst – October 8th

The Draconids peak around October 8, and 2025 may feature an outburst with a zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) up to 400 meteors/hour under ideal, dark conditions.

These meteors radiate from the constellation Draco, which is a circumpolar constellation in the northern sky, making evening viewing (just after nightfall) especially promising for northern observers.

Meteor showers happen when the Earth moves through an area of the solar system where there’s debris left behind by a solar orbiting comet or asteroid. The comet in question this time is 21 P/Giacobini-Zinner, which orbits the Sun every 13.5 years.

Comet2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) Matt Robinson

Bright Comets & Orionid Meteor Shower October 20–21

Mid-October brings a rare treat: two potentially naked eye visible comets, C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) and C/2025 R2 (SWAN). They become visible to the naked eye under dark skies.

Their arrival lines up with the Orionid meteor shower. This peaks around October 20–21 with up to 20 meteors per hour in unpolluted dark skies. These two comets will be visible through binoculars and telescopes. It’s a great astronomical event to share with the family.

Meteor – Ali Atyabi

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Image Credits: Matt Robinson, Ali Atyabi