October 2026 Sunriver Scene - Flipbook - Page 13
The October night sky will feature rings, shooting stars and a tiny dipper
By Alex Yeager, Observatory
Assistant Manager
As night arrives earlier and
temperatures begin to cool, October offers a great balance of
earlier viewing and comfortable
conditions. We have several
things to look forward to in the
sky this month, including Saturn making its closest approach
to Earth, two meteor showers,
and an interesting open star
cluster becoming prominent
in the evening sky.
Saturn will be rising higher in
the evening, providing clearer
views of the ringed gas giant.
On Oct. 4, Saturn will be at
its closest point to Earth for
the year. That doesn’t mean
it’s going to be close, however. Saturn will still be about
800 million miles from Earth,
roughly 70 light-minutes away!
This distance is nothing for our
telescopes at Sunriver Nature
Center & Observatory, where
we expect crisp views of Saturn,
its rings, and a few of its more
than 290 known moons.
Meteor showers also will
make an appearance in October. The Draconids peak
around Oct. 8. Unlike most
meteor showers, the Draconids
are best viewed in the evening,
so there’s no need to stay up
past midnight. This shower
typically doesn’t produce too
many shooting stars, usually
just a few per hour.
Then, on Oct. 21, we get the
Orionid meteor shower. These
shooting stars are produced by
debris left behind by Halley’s
Comet, a famous comet that
won’t be visible from Earth
again until 2061. Unfortunately, this year’s Orionids coincide
with a moon that is about
80% illuminated, which will
outshine many of the dimmer
meteors. For the best views,
head outside late at night and
find a dark location away from
artificial lights.
Becoming prominent in the
evening sky toward the end of
the month is an open star cluster many people are familiar
with called the Pleiades. This
cluster has about six stars that
are easily visible to the unaided
eye, but it contains more than
1,000 stars. Many people mistakenly identify the Pleiades as
the Little Dipper, but the real
Little Dipper is located farther
north in the sky. Because of
this, we enjoy calling the Pleiades the “Tiny Dipper.”
We also joke that you can’t
go a day in Central Oregon
without seeing the Pleiades. In Japan, the cluster is
known as Subaru, and its six
brightest stars are represented
in the emblem of the Subaru
car brand. With the number
of Subarus on Central Oregon
roads, you might spot the
Pleiades during the daytime
as well.
Whether you’re a longtime
astronomy enthusiast or simply
curious about the night sky,
the Sunriver Nature Center &
Observatory offers opportunities to explore the cosmos all
year long. Join us for night-sky
viewing, solar observing, family programs, and special astronomy events at our campus,
57245 River Rd. in Sunriver.
Visit SNCO.org to learn
more about upcoming observatory programs and events.
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OCTOBER 2026 SUNRIVER SCENE
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