Home / Editor's Pick /

Once in a lifetime comet to pass by

13:00
2 October 2024

October astronomy outlook
Once in a lifetime comet to pass by

Man sits with telescope looking up at the Milky Way.

It's a busy month for meteor showers, with two taking place amid the third supermoon of the year and an extremely rare comet.

Event Date
Annular solar eclipseOctober 2nd
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-Atlas) pass byOctober 9-13th
Draconid Meteor ShowerOctober 7th
SupermoonOctober 17th
Orionid Meteor ShowerOctober 21-22nd

Beginning the month is an annular solar eclipse, during with the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, though it is less exciting for us as it is only visible in the very southern tip of South America.

Of more excitement is the pass by of the Comet C/2023 A3. With an 80,000-year orbit around the Sun, this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spot the icy rock on its closest approach to Earth on the 13th without the need for equipment.

The comet will be visible between October 12th to 30th on either side of its closest approach and was only discovered last January.

A minor meteor shower, the Draconids reach their peak on October 7th though with only 10 shooting stars an hour will require some patience and clear skies.

Soon after, the third consecutive supermoon of the year rises, typically this full Moon is known as the Hunter's Moon but as a supermoon will appear larger and brighter in the evening sky on the 17th.

The final event of October, is the month's second meteor shower, the Orionids. This is more active than the Draconids, but still only delivers an average of 20 meteors an hour.

Usually visible from October 2nd to early November, the peak of the shower takes place on October 21st.

Don't forget to show off your pictures if you see any of these events, or simply anything else you wish to share! Tap the image icon in the app, or use one of our dedicated uploaders for the UK or Ireland.

Astrophotography tips for your phoneread more
Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
Weather radar map of the UK and Ireland showing widespread blue precipitation bands with temperatures near major cities, overlaid by a large cloud with two blue raindrops.
Tuesday, 2 December 2025

Close to record-breaking

A wet autumn season in the books
Weather map showing pink snowfall areas over the Great Lakes region. Snow showers are moving eastwards along the marked arrows. Several cities are affected by the snow bands.
Friday, 28 November 2025

Lake effect phenomenon

Heavy snow showers in northern USA
The image shows the ruins of a house on the left and the weather radar with thunderstorms over Sumatra on the right.
Wednesday, 3 December 2025

Heavy monsoon rain

Flood disaster on Sumatra
All weather news
This might also interest you
Split weather map showing the UK and Ireland. The left side illustrates strong winds circulating around a low-pressure system, with gusts of 20–30 mph highlighted in orange and yellow. The right side shows radar imagery with widespread blue rain bands and patches of thunderstorms, especially over northern England and Scotland.
Thursday, 28 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Remaining widely unsettled
plit image showing a double rainbow over a rocky shoreline on the left and sheep grazing in a green field under stormy clouds on the right.
Sunday, 2 November 2025

Your weather - Your shots

Mixed conditions on an unsettled week
Weather map of the UK and Ireland showing scattered showers with cloudy patches across much of the region, especially around western and northern areas. Sunshine symbols appear over London, Cardiff, and parts of southern England, while temperatures range from 17°C to 18°C in most places. Areas of heavier rain are visible over the Atlantic to the west.
Friday, 29 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Unsettled conditions into the weekend
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList