The October Sky and Comet Hartley!

The beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere brings more time to observe under a canopy of darkness. Unfortunately, the solar system's major planets don't participate fully in the added viewing hours. Only Jupiter shines brightly nearly all night. With a large disk, an active atmosphere, and four bright moons, giant Jupiter provides endless fascination for those who view it through a backyard telescope.

Uranus lies along nearly the same line of sight as Jupiter. The more distant planet remains an easy binocular object all month. Neptune glows fainter than Uranus and lies significantly farther west, so it shows up best during the evening hours.

The other planets put in only brief appearances this month. Venus and Mars shine in evening twilight but disappear from view less than an hour after sunset. And Saturn reappears shortly before dawn after mid-October.

But a naked-eye comet could make up for the lack of planet views. Comet 103P/Hartley should peak near 5th magnitude in October, when it will look like a silver sword hanging beneath the majestic W of Cassiopeia the Queen. This region lies high in the northeast these October evenings.