Today:
Hallowe’en’s connection to astronomy comes from its position on the calendar, halfway between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. This mid-point, known as a “cross-quarter day”, began the “dark” half of the year for Celtic people, ending on another season’s mid-point, May 1st, or May Day.
Friday:
Near the zenith – the very top of the sky – at 10:30 PM this evening is one of the treasures of the deep sky. A dark location and clear skies will reveal the Andromeda Galaxy, the most distant object the human eye can see without the help of telescopes or binoculars, 2.5 million light years from here.
Saturday:
Near 9:30 PM this evening, as the Big Dipper scrapes the hills and trees along the northern horizon, look half way up in the north to find the North Star. Now continue, about the same distance to the top of the sky, where an upside-down w-shaped pattern marks Cassiopeia, the Queen, always opposite the Big Dipper as they pivot around the North Star.