Saturn at opposition, Orionid meteors peak in October

October brings a handful of can't-miss skywatching events, according to ScienceDaily. The month leads off with Saturn at its best for the year, followed by meteors from Halley's Comet and a close pairing of the Moon with the Pleiades star cluster.

Saturn reaches opposition

On Oct. 4, Saturn will lie opposite the Sun as seen from Earth, rising at sunset and staying visible most of the night. ScienceDaily reports that the planet's north pole hosts a well-known hexagonal jet stream nearly 20,000 miles across, wider than Earth's diameter. More recently, Hubble Space Telescope observations revealed a growing ten-sided wave in the southern hemisphere, giving researchers a rare chance to watch a large atmospheric structure develop.

Orionid meteor shower peaks

The Orionid meteor shower, debris from Halley's Comet, peaks early on Oct. 22. ScienceDaily notes that the best viewing comes in the hours before dawn, after the bright waxing gibbous Moon sets. Find a dark spot away from city lights, let your eyes adjust, and scan the whole sky. Meteors can appear anywhere, though they seem to radiate from Orion.

Moon meets the Pleiades

On the night of Oct. 27-28, the Moon passes close to the Pleiades, also called the Seven Sisters. According to ScienceDaily, the cluster is visible from nearly every inhabited part of the world. To the unaided eye it looks like a hazy group of six or seven stars. Binoculars or a telescope reveal far more detail. Look east during evening hours as the pair rises.

October's sky delivers a parade of sights that require no special equipment, just a willingness to step outside and look up.

• Halley's Comet
• Hubble Space Telescope
• October skywatching
• Orionid meteor shower
• Pleiades
• Saturn