Don't miss: Watch Saturn shine and Halley’s Comet debris streak across the sky

KUALA LUMPUR, 6 OCTOBER 2026 —

October skywatchers are set for a busy month of celestial events, headlined by Saturn reaching opposition on October 4, the peak of the Orionid meteor shower on October 21 and 22, and a close pairing of the Moon and the Pleiades star cluster on October 27 and 28.

Saturn reaches opposition on October 4, a position where Earth moves between the Sun and the planet, placing Saturn on the opposite side of the sky from the Sun. This alignment allows the planet to rise around sunset and remain visible for much of the night. Beyond its visibility, Saturn is drawing scientific attention due to unusual atmospheric activity.

Astronomers have long studied a hexagon-shaped jet stream stretching nearly 20,000 miles across the planet’s north pole. More recently, observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope revealed a ten-sided atmospheric wave surrounding Saturn’s south pole. This feature in the southern hemisphere appears to be growing stronger, providing researchers with a rare chance to observe a massive atmospheric structure as it develops.

The Orionid meteor shower, which consists of small pieces of material left behind by Halley’s Comet, reaches its peak during the night of October 21 and into the morning of October 22. Although the meteors appear to originate from the direction of the constellation Orion, they can flash across any area of the sky.

Viewing conditions will not be ideal for the entire night due to a bright waxing gibbous Moon that is expected to overpower some of the fainter meteors. The best opportunity for viewing is expected during the few hours before dawn, after the Moon has set. Observers are advised to find a dark location away from bright lights, allow their eyes time to adjust, and scan as much of the sky as possible.

Another striking sight arrives on the night of October 27 into the 28th, when the Moon passes close to the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters. The Pleiades have inspired stories in many ancient cultures, with their widespread importance potentially stemming from the fact that the cluster can be seen from nearly every part of the world.

To find the pairing, observers should look toward the east during the evening as the Moon and the Pleiades rise higher in the sky. To the unaided eye, the cluster looks like a slightly hazy group of six to seven stars.

No special equipment is required to see the Pleiades, though binoculars or a telescope can reveal the cluster in much greater detail. The combination of Saturn at opposition, the Orionid meteor shower, and the Moon-Pleiades conjunction makes October a significant month for anyone looking up after sunset or before dawn.

The scientific interest in Saturn’s atmospheric waves and the predictable timing of the meteor shower provide specific targets for both casual observers and researchers tracking celestial phenomena.

The sequence of events concludes with the Moon’s close encounter with the Pleiades on October 27 and 28, offering a final major visual highlight for the month. Skywatchers are encouraged to position themselves in dark locations to maximize visibility of the fainter meteors during the pre-dawn hours of the Orionid peak and to observe the hazy star cluster with the naked eye or basic optical aids.