Asteroid hunters have a great opportunity to spot Vesta against the backdrop of northern Sagittarius this week. This evening, the magnitude 7.5 minor planet stands 0.4° southwest of 3rd-magnitude Lambda (λ) Sagittarii, the star that marks the lid of the constellation’s Teapot asterism. Tomorrow night, Vesta passes 0.3° due south of this star. And later this week, the asteroid slides 2° south of the 5th-magnitude globular star cluster M22.

Sunday, October 7

Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner currently glows at 8th magnitude, bright enough to see with binoculars from a dark-sky site and an easy target through a telescope. The periodic visitor resides in southern Monoceros, a region that climbs nearly halfway to the zenith as morning twilight starts to paint the sky. And this morning, the comet stands less that 1° north of the 6th-magnitude open star cluster M50. (The cluster itself lies 9° north-northeast of the sky’s brightest star, Sirius.) Giacobini-Zinner has a notable place in astronomical history because, in September 1985, it became the first comet visited by a spacecraft when the International Cometary Explorer flew past.

Monday, October 8

The normally minor Draconid meteor shower reaches its peak tonight. Although this typically wouldn’t raise observers’ expectations, this year could see a major rise in activity. That’s because the shower’s parent comet — 21P/Giacobini-Zinner — made its closest approach to the Sun in September, and previous outbursts have followed the comet’s return. With the shower’s peak coinciding with New Moon, viewers could see 10 or more meteors per hour coming from the constellation Draco the Dragon in the hours before midnight.

New Moon occurs at 11:47 p.m. EDT. At its New phase, the Moon crosses the sky with the Sun and so remains hidden in our star’s glare.

The Moon’s absence from the morning sky these next two weeks provides observers with an excellent opportunity to view the zodiacal light. From the Northern Hemisphere, the time around the autumnal equinox (which occurred 2.5 weeks ago) is the best for viewing the elusive glow before sunrise. It appears slightly fainter than the Milky Way, so you’ll need a clear moonless sky and an observing site located far from the city. Look for a cone-shaped glow that points nearly straight up from the eastern horizon shortly before morning twilight begins (around 5:30 a.m. local daylight time at mid-northern latitudes). The Moon remains out of the morning sky until October 23, when the waxing gibbous returns and overwhelms the much fainter zodiacal light.

Wednesday, October 10

Mars continues to put on a great show these October evenings. The Red Planet appears some 30° above the southern horizon once darkness falls. The world shines at magnitude –1.1, significantly brighter than any star visible on October evenings, against the faint backdrop of central Capricornus. A telescope reveals a disk that spans 14″ and shows several subtle surface features.

Thursday, October 11

Look low in the west-southwest after sunset and you’ll see a slender crescent Moon standing 4° above Jupiter. The pretty pair stands nearly 10° above the horizon an hour after sunset and sets shortly after the last vestiges of twilight fade away. Jupiter shines at magnitude –1.8 among the background stars of Libra the Scales. Although it is the brightest point of light in the sky, it lies too low to show much detail through a telescope.

Friday, October 12

The night sky’s most conspicuous harbinger of winter now rises in the east around midnight local daylight time. The constellation Orion the Hunter appears on its side as it rises, with ruddy Betelgeuse to the left of the three-star belt and blue-white Rigel to the belt’s right. As Orion climbs higher before dawn, the figure rotates so that Betelgeuse lies at the upper left and Rigel at the lower right of the constellation pattern.

Uranus reaches opposition in just 10 days, and it is already a tempting evening target. The ice giant world rises during twilight and climbs 30° above the eastern horizon by 9:30 p.m. local daylight time. The magnitude 5.7 planet lies in the southwestern corner of Aries, 10° due south of the Ram’s second-brightest star, 3rd-magnitude Beta (β) Arietis. Although Uranus glows brightly enough to see with the naked eye under a dark sky, binoculars make the task much easier. A telescope reveals the planet’s blue-green disk, which spans 3.7″.

Sunday, October 14

Saturn stands 1.5° to the left of the waxing crescent Moon this evening. The two lie 20° above the southwestern horizon at the end of twilight and remain on view until after 10 p.m. local daylight time. The ringed planet shines at magnitude 0.5 this week, more than a full magnitude brighter than any of the background stars in its host constellation, Sagittarius. If you own a telescope, there’s no better target than Saturn. Even the smallest instrument shows Saturn’s 16″-diameter disk surrounded by a dramatic ring system that spans 37″ and tilts 27° to our line of sight.

Mercury, the communication planet, gets nice and comfortable in the sociable Air sign of Libra. The Air element is very much about the mind and communication, so Libra meshes quite nicely with Mercury. Libra loves to build bridges and find ways to overcome our differences. It knows that there is more than one side to any situation, and wants to harmonize opposing points of view.

Mercury’s entry into this peacemaking sign signals a time when speech becomes a little bit softer to create more harmony in our relationships. We’ll all be a little more apt to bring down the noise level, allowing both sides of an argument to be heard. Because of this, Mercury in Libra is the perfect time to heal wounds caused by arguments or misunderstandings.

When Mercury is in Libra

When the planet of speech and the sign of one-on-one relationships get together, our communication with others comes into focus. This isn’t just love relationships we’re talking about — it’s also about our family, friends, and coworkers, too. If we’ve had any fights, or if we’ve been holding on to a long-term grudge, this is a good time to finally put them to rest.

Diplomacy takes center stage when Mercury is in Libra! Libra is represented by the Scales of justice in Astrology, so it makes sense that we’ll be more objective during this time, attempting to approach every situation in a fair-minded and balanced way. Think of this transit as a gentle reminder from the universe on the importance of considering others’ perspectives and embracing the beauty of compromise.

One challenge of this transit is the tendency to be a little too nice. Don’t sugar-coat things or withhold information just to avoid rocking the boat, as kindness could end up being a barrier to real communication. We need to realize there are many ways to connect with someone, and agreement is only one of them. Expressing opposing beliefs with respect and openness is a terrific way to strengthen any partnership.

Mercury Retrograde in Libra

It might feel like your love life has gone haywire when the planet that rules communication, perception, and thought retrogrades through relationship-oriented Libra. Mercury Retrograde in this sign can feel a bit like a not-so-welcome blast from the past because this energy likes to stir up drama, causing old relationship issues to reappear. If we’ve had any resentments in the love department, this is the time when they could come spilling out.

This is an especially tough since it might feel like we aren’t even speaking the same language as the people we’re normally in sync with. Miscommunication can easily happen, and our patience may wear thin. It’s best to take a deep breath and try to decipher what others are really trying to say during this Mercury Retrograde.

If you were born with Mercury in Libra

You’re a breath of fresh air — literally! With Mercury in an Air sign, you are quite the social butterfly, making friends no matter where you go. People tend to find you very charming, probably because you seem to have a knack for knowing all the right things to say. You like to keep things easy breezy, and your relaxed, go-with-the-flow approach is just another reason you’re so well-liked.

“Can’t we all just get along?” That should be your motto! You often play the peacemaker, avoiding (and preventing) confrontation if you can. It’s your ability to keep an open mind that helps you consider everyone’s input, and ultimately, find the middle ground. This, coupled with your cooperative and tactful nature, is especially helpful in situations that require collaboration or negotiation.

Do you find that decisions — no matter how big or small — are nearly impossible to make? You can thank your Mercury in Libra for that! Not one to be reckless or impulsive, you like to weigh all your options before making a move. Spending time considering the pros and cons can come across as indecisiveness to others, but you simply want to ensure the best outcome possible.

Art, design, music, literature — these are just a few of your favorite things! You enjoy dabbling in a wide variety of creative and cultural activities, and may even pursue a career in one of these areas.