In the first week of fall, the Harvest Moon shines in the watery star groups of Aquarius and Pisces. The full moon in October features a late evening lunar eclipse on October 27th, a Wednesday. The evening sky is planetless until December when Saturn appears in the East.

In early November, the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter line up low in the eastern dawn. Good meteor showes in fall 2004 include the Orionids on the morning of October 21st and the Geminids on the morning of December 13th. Dawn sky gazers can see a crescent moon - Venus line up on the mornings of September 10, October 10, November 9 (Jupiter too) and December 9.

In early fall (starts on September 22nd this year), the full moons offer extra evening moonlight. For at this time of the year, the moon’s orbit is at a low angle to the eastern horizon, halving the usual 50 minute delay in moonrise from night to night. On the night of September 27-28, we have the Harvest Moon, the full moon that lingers longest in the early evening sky. Through the end of September, the moon will rise before the night sky turns dark. In late October, we have the Hunters’ Moon, a near re-run of the Harvest Moon. But late in the evening of October 27th, there will a total lunar eclipse starting at 10:23 p.m. (At this time, the moon will be completely in the Earth’s deep shadow or umbra.) For the rest of October, there will be plenty of moonlight in the early evening sky, including October 31st (Halloween).

The lunar eclipse in the late evening of October 27th deserves special notice. This is the year’s second lunar eclipse for this area. (The first lunar eclipse on May 4th was obscured by clouds.) A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon goes into the Earth’s large shadow. A lunar eclipse poses no danger to your eyesight. During most lunar eclipses, the moon at mid eclipse appears grey or orange. The strange hue is due to the only light reaching the moon having had to travel around the edge of the Earth and through our atmosphere. The moon will be deepest in shadow on 11:04 p.m. By 11:45 p.m., the moon will begin to emerge from the Earth’s shadow and begin to brighten on its left edge.

November’s full moon will occur on the night of November 26-27 on the day after Thanksgiving. For the next few nights, the moon will be near the star group Orion in the eastern evening sky. As November ends the moon will be near the planet Saturn, low in the eastern evening sky.

A meteor shower occurs when the Earth plows across the orbit of a comet, littered with debris. Two fall meteor showers will be favorable this fall because the moon will be an evening object, avoiding the morning sky. (Meteors appear brightest in the AM hours when the meteors strike the Earth head-on.)

The meteor shower on the early morning hours of October 21st is known as the Orionids, appearing to streak from the star group Orion. (Orion is a group known for its three striking stars in a row (Orion’s belt).) On December 13th at dawn, the Geminids blaze out. (Gemini is a star group that appears above and to the left of Orion.)

For further information (such as free sky map or a beginner’s guide to the sky), call the Frostburg State Planetarium at (301) 687-4270 and listen to the menu.