Sky Chart For The Month of October, 2018

ASTRONOMICAL BULLETIN FOR OCTOBER 2018

The Moon

Last Quarter occurs on 2^nd at h. 15-15 I.S.T.	New Moon occurs on 9^that h. 09-17 I.S.T.
First Quarter occurs on 16^th at h. 23-32 I.S.T.	Full Moon occurs on 24^th at h. 22-15 I.S.T.
Last Quarter occurs on 31^st at h. 22-10 I.S.T.
The Lunar Crescent becomes first visible after the New Moon day in the evening of 10^th.
The Moon is at Perigee or nearest to the Earth on 6^th and at Apogee or farthest from the Earth on 18^th.

The Moon passes about 6º north of Mercury and about 13º north of Venus on 10^th, about 4º north of Jupiter on 11^th, about 2º north of Saturn on 15^th, about 2º north of Mars in the evening of 18^th, about 2½º south of Neptune on 21^st and about 4½º south of Uranus in the evening of 24^th.

The Planets

Visibility of Planets

Mercury: The planet is too close to the Sun to be visible upto 12^th of the month. Thereafter it becomes visible in the western sky in the evening and sets about 1 hour after sunset for the remaining days of the month. The planet is in Aphelion position or farthest from the Sun in its orbit on 16^th.

Venus: The planet sets about 1½ hours to 1 hour after sunset upto first quarter of the month, about 1 hour to ½ hour after it upto 15^th of the month. Thereafter it becomes too close to the Sun to be visible for the remaining days of the month, being in Inferior Conjunction with the Sun on 26^th. The motion of the planet becomes Retrograde with respect to the Earth from 6^th.

Mars: The planet sets about 1 hour to ½ hour after local midnight upto third quarter of the month and from ½ hour after local midnight time to close to it for the remaining days of the month.

Jupiter: The planet sets about 2½ hours to 2 hours after sunset upto second quarter of the month, about 2 hours to 1½ hours after it upto third quarter of the month and about 1½ hours to 1 hour after it for the remaining days of the month.

Saturn: The planet sets before local midnight throughout the month. It sets about 1½ hours to 2 hours before it upto first quarter of the month , about 2 hours to 2½ hours before it upto second quarter of the month, about 2½ hours to 3 hours before it upto third quarter of the month and about 3 hours to 3½ hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Uranus: The planet rises about 1 hour to ½ hour after sunset upto second quarter of the month and about ½ hour after it to close to sunset time upto third quarter of the month. The planet is in Opposition with the Sun on 24^th. Thereafter it sets around sunrise time to about ½ hour before it for the remaining days of the month.

Neptune: The planet sets before sunrise throughout the month. It sets about 1½ hours to 2 hours before it upto first quarter of the month, about 2 hours to 2½ hours before it upto second quarter of the month, about 2½ hours to 3 hours before it upto third quarter the month and about 3 hours to 3½ hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Conjunction of Planets

Mercury passes about 2½ º north of Spica (Chitra) on 5^th.

Mercury passes about 7 º north of Venus on 14^th.

Mercury passes about 3½º south of Jupiter on 30^th.

Planets	Planets in Zodiacal Constellation	Magnitude
Mercury (Budha)	Moves from Virgo (Kanya) to Libra (Tula) on 6^th. Moves from Libra (Tula) to Scorpion (Vrischika) on 26^th.	-1.1 to -0.2
Venus (Sukra)	Remains in Libra (Tula).	-4.8 to -4.2 -4.2 to -4.3
Mars (Mangala)	Remains in Capricornus (Makara)	-1.4 to -0.7
Jupiter (Brihaspati)	Moves from Libra (Tula) to Scorpion (Vrischika) on 11^th.	-1.8 to -1.7
Saturn (Sani)	Remains in Sagittarius (Dhanus).	+0.5 to +0.6
Uranus	Remains in Aries (Mesha).	+6.0
Neptune	Remains in Aquarius (Kumbha).	+8.0

Source : : Director

Positional Astronomy Centre

India Meteorological Department

Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700091