Wonders in the October skies: from the Night of the Moon to comets, the expected events

October 2025 promises to be an unforgettable month for astronomy enthusiasts. The Moon will be the star, illuminating the nights with spectacular events like the Night of the Moon , which this year falls on October 4th .

For over 15 years, this event has brought both adults and children closer to the magic of the night sky. But it won't just be the Moon that will inspire: the October sky will also see the passage of two comets, numerous planetary alignments, and the peak of the famous meteor showers, making for truly memorable evenings.

The Night of the Moon and the First “Supermoon” of 2025

This year, La Notte della Luna (The Night of the Moon) arrives a few days before the full moon, offering an even more evocative spectacle. As highlighted by the Italian Amateur Astronomers Union , all the initiatives and the widespread participation can be found on the event's international portal: over 150 observations are already scheduled in Italy. For 15 years, enthusiasts and experts have gathered to admire the wonders of our natural satellite.

After many “Supermoons” in 2024, October also offers the so-called “ Super Hunter’s Moon ” – a journalistic term that indicates a full Moon that appears a little larger and brighter than usual and which refers to a full Moon at perigee – expected for October 7 at 5:47 am.

The Moon will also be the protagonist of numerous conjunctions with the planets : on October 6th with Saturn, on October 10th with the Pleiades star cluster, on October 14th with Jupiter, on October 19th with Venus, and finally on October 23rd with Mercury. These close encounters will allow us to observe the Moon and the object in the same field of view using simple binoculars or a small telescope.

Comets arriving in October

October will be the month of comets . Among these, the non-periodic C/2025 A6 Lemmon and C/2025 R2 Swan stand out, both of which have made close passes to Earth.

Lemmon , already visible for several weeks, could become observable to the naked eye around October 21 , during its closest approach, with an estimated magnitude of about 3.1. The comet will be visible for about three hours after sunset in a west/northwest direction, and again before sunrise in a northeast direction.

Swan , on the other hand, is expected to reach its closest approach on October 19. While it won't be visible to the naked eye, it will be easily spotted with binoculars or a small telescope. Visibility will increase throughout the month, lasting five hours at closest approach, and extending to seven hours by the end of October.

For both comets, dark skies outside city centers and a small telescope will be essential to fully enjoy the show.

Planetary alignments and meteor showers

In addition to the Moon and comets, October offers splendid planetary alignments . From mid-month, Jupiter will rise before Earth's satellite, creating evocative encounters with the stars Castor and Pollux . On the night between October 13th and 14th , the Jupiter-Moon-stars trio will offer a unique spectacle.

The October sky will also be enriched by meteor showers : the Draconids, active between October 6th and 10th, peaking on the 8th, will be visible throughout the night. The Orionids, active throughout the month, peaking between October 20th and 23rd, will offer up to 20 meteors per hour in the Northern Hemisphere and 50 in the Southern Hemisphere.