The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — October 2081
Highlights this month
- 5SunMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (3:14am)
- 12SunMercury at greatest morning elongation (18° from the Sun, mag −0.5) — best morning apparition. (8:53am)
- 12SunThe Moon passes Saturn — 0.8° apart. (9:55pm)
- 15WedThe Moon passes Jupiter — 2° apart. (7:41am)
- 15WedUranus is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (9:47am)
- 21TueOrionids meteor shower peaks (up to 20/hr). A bright 89% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 25SatSaturn is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (3:25am)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 1 | 5:55am | 6:25pm | 12h 30m | 7:54pm | 4:25am |
| Fri 10 | 6:41am | 7:33pm | 12h 52m | 9:05pm | 5:10am |
| Mon 20 | 6:27am | 7:43pm | 13h 16m | 9:18pm | 4:53am |
| Fri 31 | 6:13am | 7:54pm | 13h 42m | 9:33pm | 4:35am |
Days lengthen by about 72 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- New MoonFri 3, 3:24am
- First QuarterFri 10, 2:57am
- Full MoonSat 18, 7:56am
- Last QuarterSat 25, 10:19pm
Perigee 2 Oct (357,900 km) · Apogee 14 Oct (405,900 km) · Perigee 30 Oct (361,800 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Vir | −0.8 | 6:01am | 12:04pm | 6:08pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Vir | −3.7 | 6:02am | 12:08pm | 6:14pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Vir | 1.8 | 5:48am | 11:49am | 5:50pm | Hidden |
| Jupiter | Aqr | −2.6 | 4:45pm | 11:04pm | 5:28am | Evening |
| Saturn | Cap | 0.5 | 2:22pm | 9:16pm | 4:14am | Evening |
| Uranus | Cap | 5.8 | 1:09pm | 8:15pm | 3:26am | Evening |
| Neptune | Cnc | 7.9 | 3:21am | 8:23am | 1:25pm | Morning |
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 89% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — October 2081
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 25 August 2026.