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Hi, I'm Sonia,
 
I have been into astronomy since 1997 when I was 11 years old when comet Hale-Bopp was around. I remember being in the back garden with my dad and he was showing me how to take a photo of it with his old Fujica camera, that I still have now.
 
Ever since then I've been fascinated with space. I started with a very cheap Tasco telescope from Argos to look at the moon, went onto a Meade goto ETX-90 telescope, which unfortunately due to age stopped working.
 
I  currently use a Skywatcher 10" Dobsonian, to mostly photograph the moon and also the planets. I also have a Seestar S50 which got me into deep sky imaging which I love!
 
More recently I have also aquired a Seestar S30 and a Vespera II
 
lastly a Coronado PST for solar imaging.
 
I have two Bsc (Hons) open degrees in "Introducing Astronomy" and "The Planets"
 
Elected in 2023 I am a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
 
Along with my blog for StarDome, I'm also a freelancer for the BBC Sky at Night magazine
and a "Go Stargazing" Astronomer. I am also the director of the British Astronomical Association (BAA) Equipment and Techniques Section
 
Clear Skies
 
Sonia
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OCTOBER 2026

The October night sky is where Autumn really finds its voice and you see the darkness unfolding, the sharper stars and the winter performance is starting to come. The cooler nights mean the air will become steadier, less haze and deeper contrast. Stars look crispier and more diamond like than they did in September. And by mid month we’re getting darker skies before 8pm.

Seasonal Constellations

The great square of Pegasus sits high in the South, and perfect marker for beginners. Its four stars form a huge, obvious geometric shape that helps you hop to nearby treasures like Andromeda and Pisces.
The Andromeda Galaxy known as M31 is at its best now, riding high above the horizon. Under suburban skies it’s a faint smudge, under darker skies it’s a glowing almond of light. Even binoculars show its shape.
Cassiopeia the easy W is almost overhead. It’s a superb constellation for outreach because its instantly recognisable and packed with star clusters.

Deep sky highlights

Andromeda Galaxy – The largest galaxy and farthest object visible to the naked eye
Double cluster in Perseus – Two glittering clusters side by side and perfect in binoculars
Pleiades rising late evening, giving a sense winter is on its way.

Planet Watch

Jupiter dominates the late-evening sky, bright and can’t be missed.
Saturn sits further West
Mars may be faint but still worth a look if its above the Horizon.

Meteor Activity

The Draconids peak around 8-9 October, they are very unpredictable, sometimes nothing, sometimes spectacular. But they are slow meteors when they do appear.
Later in the Month, the Orionids (from Halleys comet) bring fast bright meteors that will streak around 21-22 October.


Visible Evening planets





































Visible morning planets

















https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury/












































































































https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury/

















https://moonphases.co.uk/moon-calendar/2026/1/8

































https://starwalk.space/en/news/upcoming-comets#comet-in-february-2026--early-march-2026-c2024-e1-wierzchos

Orionids meteor shower peaks on the night of the 21-22 October where debris from halleys comet will hit earths atmosphere. Best seen in early hours of the morning, and the moon will have also set.
















The planets in October

Mercury and Venus won’t be visible.
Mars rises around 0:30am and will be magnitude +1.0 and is moving through the constellation of Cancer.
Jupiter rises at 2am in the constellation of Leo at magnitude -1.9.
Saturn will be at the south of Pisces and magnitude +0.3. 
Uranus will be a lot brighter and could be seen with the naked eye with a magnitude of +5.6. The planet will be in the constellation of Taurus and rising around 7:30pm.
Neptune will be faint in the constellation of Pisces at a magnitude of +7.7 and will set around 5:30am

Special night sky events

3rd – The last quarter moon will be at 2:25pm
4th – Saturn will be at opposition
5th Moon will appear close to Mars in the morning
6th – Moon will be close to Jupiter in the morning
7th – Moon will be near to Regulus in the morning
10th – The new moon will be at 4:50pm
11th – Mars will pass in front of Praesepe in the morning
12th – Mercury E elongation
14th – Moon will be near Antares
18th – The first quarter moon will be at 5:12pm
22nd – Peak of the Orionids in the morning
22nd – Moon will be near Saturn
24th – Moon will be near Saturn
25th – British Summertime will end
26th – The full moon will be at 4:12am
27th – Moon occults the Pleiades
28th – Moon occults the Pleiades in the morning (27th at 11:30pm until 28th at 3am)

Clear Skies
Sonia