South Wales Argus astronomy writer Jonathan Powell tells us what to expect in the night sky over the coming month:

As nations across the globe look for ways to defend the Earth against a possible asteroid strike, (the like of which saw the demise of the dinosaurs), Nasa’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test, mission successfully slammed a probe into a 525ft-wide moonlet on the evening of Monday September 26, in an attempt to redirect its course.

It is hoped that if spotted soon enough, similar tactics could be used to divert a large body headed for Earth.

Nasa's new era of returning to the Moon with Artemis 1 has faced no less than three delays with a date for a fourth attempt still not clear, although hopefully well before by the end of 2022.

Artemis 1, while without a crew, will pave the way for a crewed mission with Nasa planning to eventual establish a permanent base on the Moon.

Constellations

As the evenings draw in, an excellent opportunity presents itself to seek out a near neighbour of ours - the Andromeda galaxy.

For beginners in astronomy this may seem like a weighty task, but the autumn sky presents both frequent and casual observers alike with a chance to tick off another object that they’ve seen in the heavens. This particular object requires the use of binoculars or a telescope.

With the use of a star chart or planisphere, locate the constellation of Andromeda. Use the ‘W’ shape of Cassiopeia and the Great Square of Pegasus as pointers towards finding Andromeda. The galaxy, known as M31, named by Charles Messier who catalogued such objects, will appear as a fuzzy patch not far from the reasonably bright star named Mirach in Andromeda.

Give yourself plenty of time for your eyes to adapt to the dark, scouring the area in question for a small but distinctive hazy patch. The reward will be sighting the most distant object you can spot with the naked eye. A galaxy 2.5 million light-years from Earth, containing more than one trillion stars!

Partial eclipse of the Sun

On the morning of Tuesday, October 25, there will be a partial eclipse of the Sun visible from Wales. It won’t present much of a viewing spectacle I’m afraid and an organised gathering may give you the greatest chance of properly witnessing it. At the maximum point of eclipse, there should be around 10 to 15 per cent of northwest portion of the Sun’s disc covered.

A partial eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and the Moon align in an almost straight line. Only certain parts of the world will get to see this partial eclipse with Wales being one of them.

Eclipse timings from Newport: Stage 1 - 10.08am; Stage 2 – 10.56am; Stage 3 - 11.45am.

Under no circumstances look directly at the partial solar eclipse using binoculars or a telescope, as the Sun’s intense brightness can cause permanent damage to the eye.

Hunter’s Moon

October sees a Hunter’s Moon, which will be full on Wednesday, October 20. There are also a number of alternative names for October’s full moon - such as Falling Leaves Moon and Migrating Moon, as the birds begin their journey south for the winter.

Meteor showers

Hallowe'en fireballs from the Taurids shower which peaks in November.

October sees the Orionids meteor shower get under way at the start of the month, peaking during the third week, then generally tapering off and fizzling out in the first week of November. The Orionids, like August’s Perseids, tend to generate the same number of meteors each year as the Earth passes through a well-established field of debris to generate the ‘shooting stars.’

The shower peaks in the small hours of Friday, October 21, but is worth a watch either side of that date.

After midnight, looking in a south-easterly direction, we can expect 15 to 20 meteors per hour as the Earth passes through debris left in the orbital wake of Halley’s Comet.

Observing can be done with the naked eye, so there is no need for a telescope or binoculars.

Halloween fireballs

The Taurids meteor shower also gets under way in October, generally starting around the last third of the month, but lasting right until the first week of December.

The reason for this rather long period of activity is that the debris field left in the wake of Comet Encke is very well distributed, taking the Earth a while to pass through it.

Around Hallowe'en, it has been noted on previous occasions that the Earth has passed through some larger chunks of debris, generating brighter meteors, earning the title for those who observed them as ‘Halloween fireballs’.

BST

British Summer Time ends on Sunday, October 30, at 2am, the clocks go back one hour.

Planets

While we have virtually lost Venus in the morning twilight, early risers will get a good opportunity to spot Mercury during October.

Look for Mercury from the second week of the month, positioned low on the eastern horizon. The middle part of October presents the best viewing of the innermost planet. On the morning of October 24, Mercury will lie below a crescent Moon, making identification easier.

Rising around 8.30pm, Mars is situated in the constellation of Taurus the Bull.

On the evenings of Wednesday 12, Thursday 13, and Friday 14, watch for the waning crescent Moon as it passes in turn the Pleiades, (‘Seven Sister’), Aldebaran, and Mars.

Situated in the constellation of Pisces the Fish, Jupiter is simply magnificent, outshining all bar the Moon in the night sky. On October 8, the Moon passes under Jupiter, making for a lovely spectacle.

Saturn too is on show, situated in Capricornus, the Goat.

Still well worth looking at in smallest powered binoculars or small telescope, Saturn sets around 1.30am.

Society meetings

Barry Astronomical Society: ‘Gravitational Waves – Stretching the Limits’ – Chris North. Monday, October 17, 7.15pm. Barry Community Centre, Friars Road, Barry.

Bridgend Astronomical Society: ‘A Stairway to Heaven – Space Elevators and Their Viability’ – Phil Wallace. Wednesday, October 19, 7.30pm. Bridgend Tennis, Squash and Bowls Club. Parking at Halo Recreation Centre, Angel Street.

Moon phases

First quarter October 3; full moon October 9; third quarter October 17; new moon October 25.

Sunrise/sunset times

Start of October: Sun rises at 7.12am, sets at 6.49pm. End of October: Sun rises at 7.03am, sets at 4.46pm.

* Jonathan is a contributor to the BBC Sky at Night magazine with articles also published in Astronomy Now. He has written three books on astronomy, Cosmic Debris; Rare Astronomical Sights and Sounds (which was selected by ‘Choice’ magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2019); and From Cave Art to Hubble, all of which are available from Amazon. Jonathan worked at BBC Radio Wales as their astronomy correspondent and was astronomy and space correspondent for The National, (an online newspaper for Wales). He is currently a columnist at the South Wales Argus, and also a contributor to CAPCOM, an online magazine which promotes astronomy and spaceflight to the general public. He has also presented on commercial radio at Sunshine FM in Worcester, Brunel FM in Swindon, and Bath FM, and has also presented on an astronomy and space dedicated radio station, Astro Radio UK. He is currently at 107.9 GTFM in South Wales. He has also written a book on castles, ‘Fortress Wales’, and was part of the writing team for the BBC Television show, ‘The Fast Show’, which won a BAFTA.