Night Sky in October

It's a brand new month (although I'm still not sure why the last month seemed to go so fast) so all you star-gazers out there need to know what to look for in the night sky in October.  It could prove to be a pretty exciting time if you are a fan of "shooting stars" (and who isn't?)

There are two - count 'em, two! - meteor showers to enjoy this month.  The Draconid meteor shower peaks on October 7, although it's only expected to produce about 5 shooting stars per hour.  The Orionid meteor shower, which peaks on the morning of October 22, is caused by Halley's Comet and promises about 20 visible meteors per hour. 

The full moon in October is called the Hunter's Moon (you can imagine why) and it occurs on the 29th, just in time to put an exclamation point on the end of an exciting month for night sky watchers like me. 

Why don't you join me out on the deck to enjoy nature's wonders - we can drink a toast to Whoever/whatever created such a wondrous universe.  Dress warm.

Maybe some Bad Company singing "Shooting Star" will help you get in the mood: