Derekscope

The Moon & M45 (Seven Sisters)

• A close approach between the Moon and the M45 (Pleiades) star cluster on Friday 10th early morning but the Moon’s glare will make it difficult to see the cluster with the naked eye.
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• Though binoculars or a telescope should reveal the brightest stars of the cluster.
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• The Moon will appear less than one degree away from the Pleiades and will be 87% illuminated, appearing as a waning gibbous moon.
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A path of Comet ~ C/2004 E1 (Wierzchos)

• Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) is in the constellation of Hercules, at a distance of 358 million kilometers / 223 million miles from Earth on the 9th of October.
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• To “star hop” and find Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos), use a stargazing app or chart to locate it, and be prepared to use binoculars or a telescope for a better view, as it is currently faint at around magnitude +12. 
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• Find the comet’s location, which is currently near the star – Gamma (y) Herculis.
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• Consider astrophotography – due to its faintness, astrophotography with longer exposure times is an excellent method for detecting and capturing the comet, even if it’s difficult to see visually.
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The Moon at perigee

• The Moon will reach perigee, its closest point to Earth, at 13:27 BST today.
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• This October Harvest Moon is the first and largest supermoon of the year, appearing as the biggest and brightest full Moon of 2025
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Rising supermoon

• A supermoon is a full moon that occurs when the Moon is at or near its closest point to Earth in its orbit called perigee.
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• This makes the Moon appear larger and brighter than usual in the night sky.
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• We will have three supermoons in a row ~ October brings us the first year’s supermoon then we will see one again in both November and December this year.
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• Good opportunity for photography!
  If you’re capturing the rising supermoon for between 6:15pm & 6.30pm to catch the Moon just as it clears the horizon ~ including foreground elements like trees or buildings can enhance the scale and drama.
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NGC 2420 (Open Cluster) & Jupiter (1am – 5am)

• Jupiter and “Twinkling Comet Cluster” – NGC2420 are located the constellation Gemini (The Twin).
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• The Moon and Saturn were just 2.2° part, easily visible together in binoculars but too wide for the telescope fields of view.
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Titan of Transit

• The Moon and Saturn will make a close approach in the constellation, Pisces (The Fishes), it’s visible all night on Monday 6th in the early morning.
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• A “Titan of transit” refers to the celestial event where Saturn’s moon, Titan passes in front of the Saturn starting at 2am on the morning of 6th October.
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Autumn Equinox Star Party
at North Norfolk
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Monday 15th – Monday 22nd September 2025
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North Norfolk’s dark skies make it an ideal setting
for stargazing and deaf community connection.
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• Hosting an Autumn Equinox Star Party in North Norfolk with a deeply enriching and inclusive experience.
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• See more photos & report

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Dwarf planet, Ceres reaches opposition
in the constellation of Cetus.

(Visible all night this month October in binoculars)

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• Ceres will only be magnitude +7.6 at its brightest, binoculars or a small telescope are required to see Ceres as a faint, star-like point.
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• If you observe the area over a few nights, Ceres’ slow eastward motion across the sky will help you confirm that you’ve spotted the dwarf planet, or over several nights to see how compare your images recorded in the star field.
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• More information about Cetus
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Your guide to the night sky this month
(Click below the button for more information)

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