NASA Highlights Saturn Opposition and Orionid Meteor Shower in October 2026 Skywatching Guide
NASA released its October 2026 skywatching guide, featuring Saturn at opposition, the Orionid meteor shower, and a lunar pass near the Pleiades star cluster. On October 4, Saturn reaches opposition as Earth passes between the Sun and the planet.
NASA released its October 2026 skywatching guide, featuring Saturn at opposition, the Orionid meteor shower, and a lunar pass near the Pleiades star cluster. On October 4, Saturn reaches opposition as Earth passes between the Sun and the planet. This alignment allows the ringed planet to stay visible for most of the night.
Recently, observations from the Hubble Space Telescope found a ten-sided atmospheric wave growing around Saturn’s south pole. Next, the Orionid meteor shower peaks on the night of October 21 into October 22. These meteors come from debris left by Halley’s Comet. A bright moon may block fainter meteors, so viewers should look in the dark hours just before dawn after the moon sets.
Later in the month, from October 27 to 28, the Moon passes close to the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, star cluster. Viewers can see this fuzzy grouping of six to seven stars with the naked eye, while binoculars or telescopes show more detail.
Original publication: 1 October 2026 22:28
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