The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — October 1997
Highlights this month
- 8WedJupiter is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (5:35pm)
- 9ThuNeptune is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (5:13am)
- 10FriSaturn at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Pisces (mag 0.1). (1:36pm)
- 11SatThe Moon passes Jupiter — 4° apart. (7:46pm)
- 14TueMercury in superior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (6:49am)
- 14TueUranus is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (8:30pm)
- 16ThuThe Moon passes Saturn — 0.4° apart. (3:38am)
- 21TueOrionids meteor shower peaks (up to 20/hr). A bright 69% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 26SunVenus and Mars in conjunction — 2° apart. (6:40am)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 1 | 5:56am | 6:24pm | 12h 28m | 7:54pm | 4:26am |
| Fri 10 | 5:42am | 6:32pm | 12h 50m | 8:04pm | 4:11am |
| Mon 20 | 5:28am | 6:42pm | 13h 15m | 8:17pm | 3:54am |
| Thu 31 | 6:14am | 7:54pm | 13h 40m | 9:32pm | 4:36am |
Days lengthen by about 72 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- New MoonThu 2, 2:55am
- First QuarterThu 9, 10:29pm
- Full MoonThu 16, 1:47pm
- Last QuarterThu 23, 2:48pm
- New MoonFri 31, 9:06pm
Perigee 15 Oct (359,000 km) · Apogee 27 Oct (405,700 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Vir | −1.4 | 5:42am | 12:11pm | 6:40pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Sco | −4.2 | 7:39am | 3:06pm | 10:33pm | Evening |
| Mars | Oph | 1.1 | 8:02am | 3:24pm | 10:47pm | Evening |
| Jupiter | Cap | −2.3 | 12:42pm | 7:44pm | 2:49am | Evening |
| Saturn | Psc | 0.1 | 5:59pm | 11:48pm | 5:42am | All night |
| Uranus | Cap | 5.8 | 12:05pm | 7:13pm | 2:24am | Evening |
| Neptune | Sgr | 7.9 | 11:31am | 6:41pm | 1:55am | 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 69% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — October 1997
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.
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Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 16 August 2026.