Night sky highlights for October 2026

Check out the night sky during October 2026. Here are videos and links to websites highlighting the month’s top sights, including a bright Saturn, meteor showers, and more.

** What’s Up: October 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA | NASA JPL

Saturn takes center stage, a meteor shower lights up the sky, and the Moon visits the Seven Sisters.

On October 4, Saturn reaches opposition, giving skywatchers one of the year’s best opportunities to see the ringed planet. In addition, learn about a 10-sided atmospheric wave encircling Saturn’s south pole that was recently revealed by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

The Orionid meteor shower peaks October 21-22. Debris from Halley’s Comet produces the meteors, but this year, a bright Moon will obscure some of the fainter streaks. The best viewing chances will likely be the hours before dawn, after the Moon sets.

Then, on October 27-28, look east in the evening for the Moon passing close to the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters. The star cluster is visible to the unaided eye and even more spectacular through binoculars.

0:00 Intro
0:10 Saturn at Opposition
0:30 Saturn’s South Pole Decagon
1:01 The Orionids Peak
1:39 The Pleiades aka Seven Sisters
2:20 Phases of the Moon

Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/.

— Additional Resources —

Find events and clubs with NASA’s Night Sky Network: https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/…

Skywatching resources from NASA: https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching

Four phases of the Moon in October. Credits: NASA/JPL

** What to see in the night sky: October 2026 | BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Find out the best things to see in the night sky this month, courtesy of astronomers Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel

** October 2026 Night Sky: Saturn Closest to Earth, Orionids Meteor Shower Peaks | Late Night Astronomy

Let’s explore the night sky with the return of Saturn and the peak of the Orionids Meteor Shower!

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Timestamps:
0:00 Saturn Opposition
2:58 Orionids Meteor Shower
3:47 SkySafari Ad
4:58 The Moon
6:34 The Planets
7:43 Deep Sky Challenge

** What’s in the Sky this Month | October 2026 | High Point Scientific on Youtube

In this episode of What’s in the Sky this Month, Teagan reviews some of the beautiful celestial objects you can see in October!

Read the full October 2026 Newsletter: https://www.highpointscientific.com/a…

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Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
00:37 – Nearest Neighbors
02:06 – Saturn at Opposition
03:39 – Mars & the Beehive Cluster
04:42 – Moon Occulting Jupiter
05:47 – Orionid Meteor Shower
06:40 – The Double Cluster
07:44 – Conclusion