Stargazers Delight: October 2024 Brings Celestial Spectacles, Exciting Events to the Treasure Coast

September 30, 2024 Indian River State College

FORT PIERCE, FLA (September 29, 2024)- As autumn settles in, the night skies above Florida's Treasure Coast promise a dazzling array of celestial events throughout October 2024. Astronomy enthusiasts and casual stargazers alike are in for a treat with several noteworthy phenomena visible to the naked eye and exciting events at the Hallstrom Planetarium:

Celestial Highlights include:

The Moon and Venus Together (October 5): Once a month, the moon makes a complete circuit of the sky, passing various stars and planets as it continues in its revolution of the Earth. Tonight, you will be able to see it right alongside of the planet Venus as sunset gives way to early evening. Venus is quite bright, appearing as a brilliant star-like object low near the western horizon. Both will be in conjunction within the borders of the constellation Libra the Scales – a pretty sight – weather permitting of course! Be sure to watch for this event in the evening twilight, as the earth’s rotation will carry both the moon and Venus below the western horizon an hour or so after sunset.
Draconid Meteor Shower (October 8-9): This annual meteor shower, originating from the constellation Draco, is expected to peak on the night of October 8 into the early morning hours of October 9. While typically a modest shower, occasional outbursts have been known to occur, making it worth watching. Most meteor showers are best seen after midnight, and this one is no exception. But if that’s too late, then go outside in late evening to view it. If there are clouds or too many streetlights in the way, you may miss seeing these “shooting stars”.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (October 10 – 14): It’s been quite a while since we had a spectacular comet to see in the night sky, the last being Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. While this comet probably won’t be as bright (although, with comet apparitions, there’s a certain amount of unpredictability, given their volatile nature), most folks should be able to find it hanging like a jet contrail over in the southwest after sunset, as it comes within 45 million miles of the Earth on its way back out toward the far reaches of our solar system. Members of the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society (TCAS) and Hallstrom Planetarium staff are making plans to provide guided viewing of this celestial visitor, weather permitting. Contact Planetarium Director Jon Bell at jbell@irsc.edu for more information as the comet heads our way.
The Moon and Saturn Together (October 14): Tonight it’s Saturn’s turn to shine beside the moon. Saturn is not anywhere near as bright as Venus, and the moon will be approaching full, so this will be a little bit harder to see; but you should be able to find it as a yellow-tinged “star” right next to the moon tonight, weather permitting.
Full Moon (October 17): This is the Hunter’s Moon, a useful “night light” for anyone in colonial times who was pursuing “dinner in the dark.”
Orionid Meteor Shower (October 21-22): One of the year's most reliable meteor showers, the Orionids are expected to peak on the night of October 21 into the morning of October 22. With up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak, this shower is caused by debris from Halley's Comet. The bright light of the moon, just past full, will “wash out” many of these “shooting stars” however. Best views will be in the late evening before moonrise, away from bright lights. Dress warmly, protect against bugs, face toward the east and look upwards toward the top of the sky, and take a lounge chair so that you can recline and get the most comfortable views of these momentary streaks of light in the night sky. Cloud cover can of course also keep you from seeing this meteor shower. Telescopes or binoculars are not needed for this sky event.
October Constellations: The evening skies of early autumn feature some new arrivals on the scene, as well as several constellations left over from our summer nights. In the west are three bright stars that form a large triangle – appropriately called, the Summer Triangle. The brightest of the stars is nearest the west horizon – Vega, in the constellation Lyra the Harp. The bright star to the south is Altair, in Aquila the Eagle. And the third star, closest to the top of the sky, is Deneb, the tail of the constellation Cygnus the Swan, which is more popularly called the Northern Cross. Well-placed in the east are four stars which form the Great Square of the constellation Pegasus the Flying Horse. In the northeast, five stars outline the shape of a letter W – that’s Cassiopeia the Queen. But the Big Dipper, which we were able to see all through the spring and the summer, is now set down below the northern horizon, and won’t come back into our evening skies until late winter.

The Hallstrom Planetarium at Indian River State College is proud to offer a series of special events this October:

"Phantom of the Universe" Show: Running October 11-12 (Friday at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.). This captivating exploration of dark matter is narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Tilda Swinton, offering audiences a glimpse into the mysterious "ghosts" of outer space. Tickets are $7.
Laser Light Shows: Experience a variety of classical, popular, and rock 'n' roll music, all choreographed with full-dome lasers and special effects! Shows run Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from October 17 to November 2.
Thursdays and Fridays (Oct. 17, 18, 24, 31):
7 p.m.: Laser Liftoff - Family variety laser show
8:30 p.m.: Led Zeppelin -- Awesome mix
10 p.m.: The Grateful Dead -- Even more awesome mix
11:30 p.m.: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
Saturdays (Oct. 19, 26):
1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 7 p.m.: Laser Liftoff - Family variety laser show
8:30 p.m.: Led Zeppelin -- Awesome mix
10 p.m.: The Grateful Dead -- Even more awesome mix
11:30 p.m.: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon

Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for veterans, seniors, and Indian River State College students and staff. $15 for bean bag couch seating. Additional events include:

KID SPACE: Space Shapes and Other Cool Astronomy Stuff: October 12 at 11 a.m. This program for children ages 4-12 explores questions like "Is the moon round like a pancake, or like a ball?" and "How far out does space go?" Tickets are $7 per person.
Wednesday Workshop: Learning the Constellations: October 2 at 7:30 p.m. Using the planetarium, we will name the stars in the sky! This two-hour instructional workshop, geared toward adults, is available to older students and the public. Tickets are $25, and registration is required.

The Hallstrom Planetarium is located at Indian River State College, in the Brinkley Science Center (Building N) on the Fort Pierce campus at 3209 Virginia Avenue Fort Pierce, FL 34981.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact:
Hallstrom Planetarium at Indian River State College
Phone: 772-462-4750 or toll-free at 1-800-220-9915
Email: planetarium@irsc.edu
Website: www.irsc.edu/community/planetarium

Tickets can also be purchased at the Indian River State College Box Office, located in the McAlpin Fine Arts Center at 3209 Virginia Avenue, Fort Pierce, FL 34981. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.