Celebration of Space - Ocotober 30, 2026
Tomorrow, Saturday, October 31, 2026 is Halloween, and it is an astronomically aligned date. As we all dress up and celebrate scares, frightful sights, and community, the Earth is also arriving at the point in our orbit where we are half way from the Autumnal Equinox to the Winter Solstice. We call these days Cross Quarter Days, of which there are four per year, including Groundhog Day in February, May Day in May, Lammas in August, and Halloween. After Halloween passes we will have less days until the start of winter than have already passed in autumn. While having your momentary freak outs and scares on Saturday, keep in mind that we have begun the final stretch towards the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere.
Overnight Wednesday-Thursday, November 4-5, 2026, the annual Southern Taurid Meteor Shower will occur, bringing with it a small increase in meteor activity by about five meteors per hour. Even though this will be the night to see most of the Southern Taurid meteors the Taurids are not known for frequent meteors on the peak night, but instead for the entire shower (September 30 – November 20) bringing a notable increase in regular fireball meteor activity. Fireball meteors are much brighter than a regular shooting star, last longer, and often fragment or break apart as the streak across the sky. We also have the Northern Taurid Meteor Shower occurring concurrently, which will peak on the night of November 11-12, 2026. While out trick-or-treating, partying, or just having a spooky walk with a cider out under the stars, be sure to keep an eye to the sky as fireballs can appear at any time.
While having your Halloween night out, take a moment to look to the sky and catch a view of China’s Space Station – Tiangong passing over. The pass will kick in at 6:59 pm in the west sky about 10º above the horizon, and continue to rise until it passes almost directly overhead. The entire pass should last about 3.5 minutes and will be quite bright. So set your alarm and show your friends and family your geek cred by pointing out Tiangong passing over.
At 2:00 am on Sunday, November 1, 2026, be sure to turn your clocks back one hour as we shift from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time. Most see this as an additional hour of sleep, though being that this will happen overnight on Halloween, this could be seen as an extra hour to celebrate. A good way to remember which way to shift the clocks is: In the fall season, fall back one hour, and in the spring season spring ahead one hour. Enjoy your extra hour of whatever you choose!
Have a fabulous Halloween from all the astrogeeks at Frosty Drew Observatory!
