How To Watch Dragon Fireballs And Jupiter Disappear In October's Sky

by Aaron Leong — Tuesday, October 06, 2026, 11:28 AM EDT

Night sky filled with stars and shooting stars - Image: Clay Banks via Unsplash

October offers a packed schedule of celestial treats for skywatchers, featuring two famous meteor showers, a rare planetary disappearance, and a bright full Moon.

Kicking off the mid-month stargazing lineup is the Draconid meteor shower, which reaches its peak on the evening of October 8 (Thursday), and continues into the wee morning hours of October 9. Originating from the constellation Draco the Dragon, this shower is uniquely convenient for casual skywatchers because its activity builds shortly after darkness falls around 9:00 p.m. EDT, rather than requiring an all-night vigil until dawn. With a nearly new Moon providing dark night skies, viewers away from heavy city lights stand the best chance of spotting these slow-moving meteors streaking across the sky.

Later in the month, the Orionid meteor shower takes center stage, peaking during the night of October 21 into the early morning hours of October 22. Known as one of the most famous of its type, the Orionids are created by dust particles left behind by Halley’s Comet as Earth travels through its orbital trail. The shower's radiant sits near the prominent constellation Orion the Hunter, close to the glowing red supergiant star Betelgeuse. While a bright waxing gibbous Moon will wash out some of the fainter streaks early in the night, the viewing window improves dramatically after the Moon sets around 3:00 a.m. local time.

A full Moon is framed by the branches of a pecan tree on March 13, 2025, just outside of New Orleans, Louisiana — A full Moon is framed by the branches of a pecan tree on March 13, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana - Image: NASA/Bordelon

Speaking of the Moon, the monthly lunar showcase culminates on the night of October 25 into October 26 as the full Hunter's Moon lights up the evening. Reaching its peak illumination just past midnight at 12:12 a.m. EDT on October 26, this full Moon is a (traditional) signal for hunters to track game under bright moonlight following the fall harvest. Climbing high into the autumn sky, the bright orb will cast a spooky glow right through the final stretch of the month leading into Halloween.

Concluding the month's astronomical highlights on the night after (the 27th), the waning moon passes close to the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters. Skywatchers looking toward the eastern horizon after dusk can spot this famous fuzzy grouping of six or seven tightly bound stars moving in the sky alongside the Moon. Binoculars or small backyard telescopes will easily spot the glowing blue stellar detail within the cluster.