| |   | What's Up This Week? This week brings a mix of lunar wonders and planetary highlights. The moon takes center stage early in the week, showing off its elusive X and Y shapes, then reaches first quarter midweek before pairing with Mercury in the evening sky. And there's more beyond the eyepiece. We've got a dazzling reader-submitted astrophoto of Joyce's Nebula, an eerie, brain-shaped supernova remnant and a guide to where five spacecraft, including Voyager 1 and the James Webb Space Telescope, can be found in our October sky.
Here's what to watch for this week. Clear skies,
Daisy
Reference Editor, Space.com | |  | | (Starry Night) | A favorite among lunar observers! Around 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT), sunlight will cast just the right angle to reveal the famous Lunar X and V near the moon's terminator. Use binoculars or a small telescope to spot the shapes that appear only for a few hours. The peak occurs around 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT) before the features slowly fade once more. | |  | | (Starry Night) | The moon reaches its first quarter phase, glowing half-lit on its eastern side. This is one of the best times to explore lunar craters and ridges with binoculars or a telescope as the sunlight strikes a dramatic angle along the terminator. The moon will rise near midday and set around midnight. | |  | | (Starry Night) | Mercury reaches its widest separation from the sun, about 24 degrees, tonight. Look low in the southwestern sky just after sunset, where the planet will shine above the horizon. Mars shines faintly to its right. | |  | | (Starry Night) | Perfect for Halloween! The open star cluster NGC 457, also known as the Owl Cluster or ET Cluster, spreads its wings near Cassiopeia. Through binoculars, you'll see two bright "eyes" (Phi Cassiopeiae and HD 7902) and curved chains of stars that resemble an owl, or an alien! It's a fittingly eerie sight for later October nights. | |  | | (Starry Night) | On Halloween night, look for a glowing "handle" of light on the moon's edge as sunlight grazes the Montes Jura mountain range. This effect, called the Golden Handle, appears when Sinus Iridum's rim catches the sun's rays while the floor remains dark. Visible through binoculars or a telescope. | | | | Moon Calendar The first quarter moon on Oct. 29 is a perfect target for lunar observing. Half-lit moons reveal stunning surface detail, from the bright ejecta rays of Copernicus to the subtle ridges of Mare Imbrium. Shadows are long and contrast high, making craters pop in sharp relief! If you're planning on photographing the moon during the first quarter phase, trying capturing it near the terminator, the line dividing night and day, for a three-dimensional effect. This is the ideal time to explore the lunar surface before the bright glare of the full moon returns next week. Want to explore more? Check out our ultimate guide to observing the moon for tips and tools to get the most out of each phase. | | | | In The News | Here's where 5 of NASA's most famous spacecraft can be found in the October sky. | | | | Northern Lights Forecast | The latest aurora forecast for tonight help you make sure you're in the right place at the right time to see the northern lights. | | | | Your Amazing Astrophotos | Light from the ancient supernova remnant was captured over the course of 50 hours in September 2025. | | | | Astronomy Kit and Accessories | The best telescopes for professional astrophotography will allow you to capture high-definition images of planets, nebulas and galaxies. | | | Our guide to the best mirrorless cameras makes your next purchase a breeze and gets you photographing the night sky in no time. Amazon Prime Day is also just around the corner. | | | | Stay up-to-date on all things space science, news, and entertainment by subscribing to our newsletters. | |  | |  | Follow Night Sky This Week |  |  |  |  | | | | | Future US LLC © | | Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036. | | | |
