Best Skywatching Events of October 2014: Sky Maps (Gallery)
Mercury, October 2014
Mercury will too close to the sun to observe most of the month, but begins a good morning apparition at the end of the month for observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
Venus, October 2014
Venus is in superior conjunction with the sun on the 25th, so will be hard to see all month. Look for it during the partial solar eclipse on the 23rd.
Mars, October 2014
Mars is now fading rapidly in brightness as it moves towards the far side of the sun.
Jupiter, October 2014
Jupiter rises well after midnight in the constellation Cancer, moving into Leo in mid-month.
Saturn, October 2014
Saturn, in Libra, vanishes into evening twilight late in the month.
Uranus, October 2014
Uranus is in opposition on Oct. 7 in Pisces, visible all night.
Neptune, October 2014
Neptune is well placed in the evening sky in Aquarius.
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Geoff Gaherty was Space.com's Night Sky columnist and in partnership with Starry Night software and a dedicated amateur astronomer who sought to share the wonders of the night sky with the world. Based in Canada, Geoff studied mathematics and physics at McGill University and earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Toronto, all while pursuing a passion for the night sky and serving as an astronomy communicator. He credited a partial solar eclipse observed in 1946 (at age 5) and his 1957 sighting of the Comet Arend-Roland as a teenager for sparking his interest in amateur astronomy. In 2008, Geoff won the Chant Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, an award given to a Canadian amateur astronomer in recognition of their lifetime achievements. Sadly, Geoff passed away July 7, 2016 due to complications from a kidney transplant, but his legacy continues at Starry Night.