Celebration of Space - Ocotober 23, 2026
The Full Hunter's Moon of October occurs on Monday, October 26, 2026.
On Monday, October 26, 2026, at 12:13 am, the Moon will arrive on the opposite side of Earth than the Sun, this is the full lunar phase, which will bring the full Moon to the entire nighttime period. On the night of October 25th, the Moon will rise with the setting Sun, and set with the rising Sun on the morning of the 26th. Like all full lunar phases, the October full Moon has a common name associated with it that is representative of occurrences or activities during the month of October. In the Northern Hemisphere, the month of October is the time to hunt and harvest food in preparation for the coming winter, and the October full Moon provided a good deal of nighttime illumination to complete the task. As such, the October Moon goes by the common name – the Full Hunter’s Moon. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac the October Moon has alternative names, including the Falling Leaves Moon, the Drying Rice Moon, the Freezing Moon, and the Migrating Moon (birds).
To catch a view of the Full Hunter’s Moon of October, you can just step outside and look up on the night of the 25th. Though we think the best time to see any full Moon is when it is rising. The Hunter’s Moon will rise at 5:15 pm over the ENE horizon. Finding a location where you can see the ENE horizon, and being there at least 15 minutes before the Moon rise time will get you a great view of the Moon illusion, which is when the Moon appears to be very large on the horizon. It is an illusion due to the Moon being silhouetted by terrestrial objects. To reset your view, hold your pinky finger at arm’s length and cover the Moon with your pinky, the same way you can do when the Moon is high in the night sky.
Today, October 23, 2026, Venus is orbiting in between the Earth and the Sun. We call this Inferior Conjunction and places Venus at its closest point to Earth in its yearly orbit around the Sun. Because Venus orbits the Sun over a period of 224.7 Earth-days, compared to Earth’s 365.25 days, we experience Inferior Conjunction with Venus once every 19 months, with the last occurrence on March 22, 2025. To catch a view of Venus during Inferior Conjunction is highly advised against due to Venus’ close visual proximity to the Sun, which significantly increases your chances of viewing the Sun with magnifying optics. Think about burning paper with a magnifying glass, that’s what will happen to your eyes. Those who should perform this type of observation already know how to do it. Though if you are interested in what you would see, check out our photo of Venus at Inferior Conjunction in 2020 that we did in collaboration with Brown University Department of Physics. Over the next few weeks, Venus will not be easily visible, though eventually we will start to see Venus in the morning sky before sunrise, when it returns to its role as The Morning Star. Keep an eye out if you commute before sunrise.
The annual peak of the Orionid Meteor Shower occurred overnight on October 21-22, 2026. On that night we saw a potential increase in regular meteor activity by 20 meteors per hour, compliments of comet 1P/Halley (Halley’s Comet). Even though the peak has passed, we are still seeing increased meteor activity from the Orionid shower. Sadly, the bright gibbous Moon is interfering with our view of most of the meteors, and only the brightest will be visible. Even though the Orionid shower is passing, the Southern and Northern Taurid meteor showers are still ramping up. These showers bring an increase in fireball meteor activity to the night sky. A fireball meteor is a very bright, longer lasting shooting star. Sometimes fireball meteors will flash and fragment as they cross the sky. The Southern Taurid Meteor Shower will peak on the night of November 4-5, 2026, and the Northern Taurid Meteor Shower will peak on the night of November 11-12, 2026, though fireball meteors can be seen anytime during the showers, which are both happening right now. Keep an eye to the sky as you never know when a fireball meteor may zoom across your view.
Save the Date: Spooky Views – A Halloween Stargazing Experience
Tickets are required, and cost $5/person.
On Friday, October 30, 2026, the Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center will host our annual Spooky Views event. This is a night of scary stories, War of the Worlds, loads of candy, and creepy sights. We will host two event sessions, the first will run from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, with the second session running from 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm. Both sessions will bring creepy décor to the entire Frosty Drew campus. Frosty Drew Astronomy Team member, Jessica, will host a family friendly Halloween Storytime Under the Willow. In the Sky Theatre we will air the original 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast, narrated by Orson Wells, accompanied with select images. In the Observatory we will direct our telescopes towards young white dwarf stars, which are the remnants of stars that have died. We will also view Saturn. A scavenger hunt will be available for kids (and adults), designed to take you around the Frosty Drew campus. Costumes are optional, though a jacket would probably be a good idea as it can get chilly out in the dark. So put on your best creep and head out to Frosty Drew for a night of sights – creepy and celestial, and welcome the Eve of All Hallows.
