No matter whether you’re an amateur astronomer, student, or person with a curious mind, you may be wondering which constellations may be visible and bright come October?
Continue reading to discover more about which constellations are visible in October, how these constellations may appear, their myths, locations and more.
Constellations For October: Summary
Grus, Aquarius, Octans, Lacerta, Pegasus, and Piscis Austrinus are the constellations best visible in October. Aquarius, Piscis Austrinus, Grus, and Octans may be seen in the northern sky, while Lacerta and Pegasus can be found in the southern sky.
Grus
The crane constellation, Grus, is visible in the southern hemisphere of the sky, during October, in latitudes south of 33 degrees North.
Grus is a minor constellation of 366 square degrees, ranking 45th in size among the 88 visible in the night sky.
Grus, together with Pavo, Phoenix, and Tucana, is one of the “Southern Birds” and is bounded to the north by Piscis Austrinus, to the northeast by Sculptor, to the east by Phoenix, to the south by Tucana, to the southwest by Indus, and to the west by Microscopium.
The constellation Grus, on the other hand, is not associated with any mythology.
It is one of the twelve constellations named by Petrus Plancius based on observations made by Dutch navigators, and its Latin name means “the crane.”
It first appeared in 1598 on Plancius’ celestial globe, and in 1603 it was included in Johann Bayer’s star atlas.
Aquarius
Aquarius, the water carrier, is seen in the northern hemisphere in the fall and in the southern hemisphere in the spring and may be viewed in latitudes between 65 and -90 degrees.
Aquarius is a vast constellation with a surface area of 980 square degrees, making it the tenth largest in the night sky.
Other aquatic constellations like Cetus, the sea monster, Pisces, the fish, and Eridanus, the river, also share a region of the sky with Aquarius.
Aquarius is also one of the zodiac’s 13 constellations, which means it is located along the route taken by the Sun during the year. It’s also where the yearly Delta Aquarids meteor shower starts.
Octans
Octans, or the octant, is a constellation in the southern hemisphere of the sky that can only be seen at latitudes south of the equator.
Octans takes its name from the octant, a navigational instrument that predates the modern sextant.
Octans is circumpolar, meaning it may be seen all night.
Octans is a minor constellation that ranks 50th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky, having a total area of approximately 291 square degrees.
The South Celestial Pole is also located there.
On the other hand, the constellation Octans has no mythology linked with it.
After a tour to the Cape of Good Hope to examine the southern night sky in 1752, French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille identified 14 constellations.
Lacerta
The lizard constellation, Lacerta, can be seen in the northern hemisphere of the sky in October between latitudes of 90 degrees and -40 degrees.
It is a little constellation, occupying just 201 square degrees of sky and ranked 68th in size among the 88 constellations.
Lacerta spans the night sky from Cepheus’ head to Perseus’ foot, between Cygnus and Andromeda.
The brightest stars in Lacerta create a tiny W in the sky, reminiscent of Cassiopeia.
It is sometimes referred to as “Little Cassiopeia” as a result of this.
Lacerta is Latin for “lizard,” and this constellation has no mythology related to it.
It is, however, one of seven constellations formed in the 17th century by Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius.
Hevelius first used it in a star atlas he produced in 1690.
The name Stellio was given to it after a type of lizard known as a stellion, but it was later changed to Lacerta.
Pegasus
The astronomical sign Pegasus, the winged horse, may be seen between the latitudes of 90 degrees and -60 degrees from August to December.
It is a prominent constellation that takes up 1,121 square degrees of sky, making it the sixth largest in the night sky.
Pegasus was a white-winged horse created from the blood of Medusa, the gorgon who was decapitated by Perseus.
As the bearer of Zeus’ lightning bolts, he served the deity, Zeus. Zeus finally designated the horse as a constellation among the stars.
Pegasus, curiously, only displays the horse’s top body.
In other photographs, though, the horse can be seen emerging from the water.
Piscis Austrinus
From July through September, the constellation Piscis Austrinus, or the southern fish, is visible in the southern hemisphere of the sky in latitudes south of 53 degrees north.
It is a minor constellation, comprising just 245 square degrees of sky and ranking 60th of the 88 constellations in the night sky in terms of size.
Piscis Austrinus is one of the 48 constellations catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century.
Its name means “southern fish.”
Piscis Austrinusis, on the other hand, is also known as Piscis Austalis.
Since ancient Babylonian times, Piscis Austrinus has been recognized as a constellation.
The Babylonians simply referred to it as the Fish.
It was known as the Great Fish in Greek mythology, and it was pictured as swallowing the water spewed out by Aquarius.
The two fish in the Pisces constellation are said to represent the Great Fish’s progeny.
However, according to Egyptian legend, the fish rescued the life of the goddess Isis.
She expressed her thanks by making the fish a constellation in the sky.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the most extraordinary constellations to see in October are Grus, Aquarius, Octans, Lacerta, Pegasus, and Piscis Austrinus. Aquarius, Piscis Austrinus, Grus, and Octans may be seen in the northern sky, while Lacerta and Pegasus can be found in the southern sky.
Whether you’re an amateur astronomer, a student, or just someone with a curious mind, don’t miss your chance to see constellations you would otherwise miss for the rest of the year this October.
You might also like:
- Constellations For January
- Constellations For February
- Constellations For March
- Constellations For April
- Constellations For May
- Constellations For June
- Constellations For July
- Constellations For August
- Constellations For September
- Constellations For October
- Constellations For November
- Constellations For December
