- October Oketopa HIGHLIGHTS Aquarius and Aquila In Greek mythology, the Aquarius THE SKY TONIGHT constellation is said to represent Ganymede, the handsome prince of Capricornus Troy. His good looks attracted the attention of Zeus, who sent the eagle The Greeks associated Capricornus Aquila to kidnap him and carry him with Aegipan, who was one of the to Olympus to serve as a cupbearer Panes - a group of half-goat men to the gods. Because of this story, who often had goat legs and horns. Ganymede was sometimes seen as the god of homosexual relations. He Aegipan assumed the form of a fish- also gives his name to one of the tailed goat and fled into the ocean moons of Jupiter, which are named to flee the great monster Typhon. after the lovers of Zeus. Later, he aided Zeus in defeating Typhon and was rewarded by being To locate Aquarius, first find Altair, placed in the stars. the brightest star in the Aquila constellation. Altair is one of the To find Capricornus (highlighted in closest stars to Earth that can be seen orange on the star chart), first locate with the naked eye, at a distance the Aquarius constellation, then of 17 light years. From Altair, scan look to the south-west along the east-south-east to find Aquarius ecliptic line (the dotted line on the (highlighted in yellow on the star chart). star chart).
What’s On in October? October shows at Perpetual Guardian Planetarium, book at Museum Shop or online. See website for show times and - details: otagomuseum.nz October Oketopa SKY GUIDE
Capturing the Cosmos Planetarium show.
Planetarium show. The Sky Tonight PERPETUAL We Are Aliens! 3D Planetarium show. GUARDIAN PLANETARIUM MOON PHASES OCTOBER 2018 SUN RISE / SUNSET N 10 350 Deneb 340 20 Cygnus
Andromeda 330 Phase Date 30 Date Rise Set Vega Lyra 3rd quarter Tuesday 2 October us 320320 Monday 1 7.10 AM 7.45 PM 40 Algol Vulpecula Albireo New moon Tuesday 9 October Pegasus Monday 15 6.44 AM 8.04 PM Triangulum 310 1st quarter Wednesday 17 October 50 Sagitta Wednesday 30 6.17 AM 8.26 PM Delphinus Full moon Thursday 25 October Equuleus Hercules Altair 300 Pisces Aries60 Aquila SPOOKY SPACE OBJECTS
PLANETS Aquarius 290 70
CapricornusMars Scutum Little Ghost Nebula Mira Cetus 280 This nebula, named for its greenish Venus 80 PiscisFomalhaut Austrinus glow, is the result of a dead star Meremere-tū-ahiahi Microscopium Ophiuchus shedding its outer layer of gas, and gives Early October before 11.00pm Sagittarius Sculptor Saturn us a glimpse at what may await our own Mid October before 9.58pm
Late October not visible W sun when it dies in the next five billion On Libra-Virgo border E Grus years. The Little Ghost Nebula is located in Ophiuchus – find it where Ophiuchus Corona Australis touches the ecliptic line on our star chart.
Fornax Phoenix Telescopium 260
Eridanus Indus 260 Witch Head Nebula
100 100 Antares Mars Scorpius AchernarTucana Thought to be the remnants of an ancient Matawhero Pavo Jupiter supernova, this nebula resembles the
Early October before 5.19am Libra 250
Horologium Ara 250 profile of a witch. The nebula’s eerie
Mid October before 4.46am 110 Rigel110 blue glow is due to its proximity to the Late October before 3.53am Octans In Capricornus Hydrus Norma blue supergiant star Rigel, located in the Reticulum Orion constellation (shown on the cover).
Caelum Triangulum Australe Lupus 240
Apus 240
Merc Rigel can be used to find the Witch Head 120
120 Nebula: first find Rigel near the eastern Lepus Mensa Dorado Rigil Kentaurus Venus horizon around midnight Pictor Circinus (not visible on
chart) then look west to locate the Witch
23
Jupiter Columba Chamaeleon 23
0
0 Head Nebula. 130
Hine-i-tīweka 130 Musca Early October before 11.37pm Canopus Volans Time Guide Acrux Sp
Mid October before 10.56pm Crux Vampire Stars
220
This chart is Gacrux 220
140 Late October before 10.14pm 140 Sirius In Libra orientedCanis for Major Carina Centaurus The Carina Nebula encompasses O-type
ocerosEarly October, 11pm stars, the biggest and hottest stars in
210
Little210 Ghost Nebula: 150
Mid October, 10pm 150 Puppis our universe. These stars often come in
binary pairs, where two stars orbit each
200
Late October, 9pm 200 160
160 Carina Nebula: other. Sometimes the larger star will
Vela Corvus
190 190 170 170 ocyon S Saturn become vampiric and suck the matter Copyright © 2018 Heavens-Above.com from the smaller star, extending the Pareārau Early October before vampire star’s lifespan. To find the Carina 2.56am How to use this chart: Hold the chart up to the sky and rotate it, so the direction you are looking Nebula, first locate the Southern Cross Mid October before 2.04am matches the direction printed on the bottom. For example, if you are looking south, place “S” at the Late October before 1.10am then scan south-east until you find a In Sagittarius lower edge. Stars rise in the east and set in the west like the sun. As the Earth turns, the sky appears bright orange star – this is Eta Carinae, to rotate clockwise around the south celestial pole. The sky makes a small shift to the west every night, a star in the centre of the nebula. as the Earth rotates around the sun.