The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — October 1996
Highlights this month
- 3ThuMercury at greatest morning elongation (18° from the Sun, mag −0.5) — best morning apparition. (3:42pm)
- 6SunNeptune is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (5:44pm)
- 10ThuUranus is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (9:21am)
- 21MonOrionids meteor shower peaks (up to 20/hr). A bright 67% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 24ThuThe Moon passes Saturn — 3° apart. (6:41pm)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 1 | 5:55am | 6:24pm | 12h 29m | 7:54pm | 4:26am |
| Thu 10 | 5:42am | 6:33pm | 12h 51m | 8:04pm | 4:10am |
| Sun 20 | 5:27am | 6:43pm | 13h 15m | 8:17pm | 3:53am |
| Wed 31 | 6:13am | 7:54pm | 13h 41m | 9:33pm | 4:35am |
Days lengthen by about 72 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Last QuarterFri 4, 10:07pm
- New MoonSun 13, 12:15am
- First QuarterSun 20, 4:12am
- Full MoonSun 27, 12:14am
Apogee 7 Oct (405,100 km) · Perigee 22 Oct (368,600 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Vir | −1.1 | 5:13am | 11:23am | 5:33pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Leo | −3.9 | 4:04am | 9:42am | 3:21pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Leo | 1.4 | 3:10am | 8:21am | 1:33pm | Morning |
| Jupiter | Sgr | −1.9 | 10:07am | 5:29pm | 12:54am | Evening |
| Saturn | Psc | 0.5 | 4:50pm | 10:56pm | 5:06am | All night |
| Uranus | Cap | 5.8 | 11:44am | 6:55pm | 2:10am | Evening |
| Neptune | Sgr | 7.9 | 11:19am | 6:31pm | 1:46am | Evening |
Meteor showers
- Orionids — peaks 21 October, radiant in Orion (up to 20/hr). Also from Halley's Comet; Orion rides high after midnight from the south, giving a fair show. A bright 67% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — October 1996
Evening sky Morning sky Up much of the night Lost in the Sun’s glare
Open the full interactive orrery ↗ — fast-forward, pick any date, toggle the Moon and more.
Looking for an earlier month? Browse all past monthly guides →
Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 16 August 2026.