Sky Guide October 2023

Constellations are groups of stars that represent mythological figures, fanciful beasts or old scientific instruments. Some have been used for millennia as a tool to share significant cultural stories and to track the passage of the weeks and months. Today, they also help astronomers delineate portions of the sky and locate astronomical objects. In October, in the early evening, the following constellations dominate the sky.

Crux or the Southern Cross as we all know it, is in the south-east in October and upside down each evening. At about midnight it reaches its lowest point in the sky, very close to the southern horizon where it will be difficult to spot unless you have an unobstructed view due south.

Scorpius this is your final chance this year to spot the Scorpion as he dips into the western horizon. If you have a very dark sky (and the Moon is not up) you will see the Milky Way, our galaxy, from which Scorpius appears to dangle, hanging by his hooked tail as he descends.

Capricornus an odd creature composed of a goat’s head and forefeet joined to the tail of a fish. Like Scorpius, Capricornus is a zodiac constellation — one through which the Sun passes — and among the most ancient of constellations. The Greeks identified him with Pan, their god of the countryside. He was a naughty little goat who chased women and seduced them. One attempted conquest failed when his target leapt into a river and disguised herself as a bunch of reeds. On grabbing the reeds Pan heard the wind blowing tunefully through them, and the Pan flutes were born.