A lunar eclipse, a solar eclipse, a meteor shower, a comet threatening Mars, and more are on the stargazing calendar for October.

The best time to view a planet is often when it reaches opposition, when it rises opposite the sun in our sky and is visible all night and sets at dawn. Uranus reaches opposition on October 7, but this planet is a bit trickier than most. Even though Uranus can be seen without optical aid, you have to know just where to look to see the dim 5.7-magnitude planet. Binoculars or a telescope are highly recommended.

On the evening from October 7 overnight to the 8th, not only will Uranus reach opposition but there will be a Full Hunter’s Moon and a total lunar eclipse. Follow the link for more in-depth observing information for these big events.

On October 19, Comet 2013 A1 Siding Spring will nearly hit Mars. The comet is being tracked by a slew of orbiters currently in place around the Red Planet. The event will occur in darkness for parts of Europe, allowing them to watch Mars as the comet skims the planet’s atmosphere and interacts in ways as-yet-unknown. In the United States Mars will be above the horizon but so will the sun, limiting our view of the event. Follow the link for more information on Mars’s close call.

The Orionid Meteor Shower, a product of Halley’s Comet, peaks around October 20/21. On good years if you catch it during its optimal time you can see up to 50 meteors an hour. This year the Orionids occur just a few nights before New Moon, which means skies will be nice and dark, allowing even the faintest meteors a chance to catch your eye.

On October 23, a partial solar eclipse will sweep across the Pacific and much of North America. The timing of the eclipse depends on your exact location. But for all partial solar eclipses, you must wear proper eye protection or avoid looking directly at the sun. Follow the link for more information on observing the partial solar eclipse.

In October, planets are scarce in the evening sky. Saturn exits soon after the sun, leaving Mars alone in the south as the only naked-eye planet. But Mars sets mid-evening and then no other bright planet enters the scene until after midnight when Jupiter rises in the east-northeast.

While Mars is above the horizon, watch it pass through the region of the Milky Way that holds many nebulae and star clusters. A crescent moon joins the view on October 27 and 28. With a telescope, spot globular cluster NGC 6544 and Mars together on October 28. Look to the upper right to find famous gas clouds including the Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae.