The Night Sky in October (Astronomy Talk)

Discover what will be visible in the night sky this month at the Los Alamos Nature Center. Join Galen Gisler at 7 p.m. for an interactive tour of the heavens that will highlight the planets, star patterns, and constellations that may be readily observed throughout October. This program is perfect for beginner stargazers who want to learn more.

This year, October features two bright planets in the evening sky, Saturn and Jupiter, joined by Mars as the month progresses. The constellations of the autumn are on display, Pegasus, Perseus, and Andromeda, with our nearest neighbor galaxy, 2.5 million light-years distant but visible to the naked eye. Jupiter and the Moon will be very close to each other on the 8th, which happens to be the evening of our full-moon walk, and the Moon passes even closer to Mars on the 14th. The Orionids meteor shower may decorate our skies on the evening of the 21st.

Because seating is limited in the planetarium, advance registration is encouraged! Sign up now to reserve your seats.

Planetarium events are not recommended for kids under age 4.

Admission: $6/adult, $4/child.

About the speaker: 

Galen Gisler was born in Clovis NM, and graduated High School there. With a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Cambridge, he eventually came to Los Alamos where he worked at the lab for 25 years. Then he and his wife Susan moved to Norway where he learned not quite enough geology at the University of Oslo, finally retiring back to their cozy mountain town. The PEEC planetarium is his favorite place to spend time.