Home
Weather Dublin
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Once in a lifetime comet to pass by

13:00
2 October 2024

October astronomy outlook
Once in a lifetime comet to pass by

Man sits with telescope looking up at the Milky Way.

It's a busy month for meteor showers, with two taking place amid the third supermoon of the year and an extremely rare comet.

Event Date
Annular solar eclipseOctober 2nd
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-Atlas) pass byOctober 9-13th
Draconid Meteor ShowerOctober 7th
SupermoonOctober 17th
Orionid Meteor ShowerOctober 21-22nd

Beginning the month is an annular solar eclipse, during with the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, though it is less exciting for us as it is only visible in the very southern tip of South America.

Of more excitement is the pass by of the Comet C/2023 A3. With an 80,000-year orbit around the Sun, this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spot the icy rock on its closest approach to Earth on the 13th without the need for equipment.

The comet will be visible between October 12th to 30th on either side of its closest approach and was only discovered last January.

A minor meteor shower, the Draconids reach their peak on October 7th though with only 10 shooting stars an hour will require some patience and clear skies.

Soon after, the third consecutive supermoon of the year rises, typically this full Moon is known as the Hunter's Moon but as a supermoon will appear larger and brighter in the evening sky on the 17th.

The final event of October, is the month's second meteor shower, the Orionids. This is more active than the Draconids, but still only delivers an average of 20 meteors an hour.

Usually visible from October 2nd to early November, the peak of the shower takes place on October 21st.

Don't forget to show off your pictures if you see any of these events, or simply anything else you wish to share! Tap the image icon in the app, or use one of our dedicated uploaders for the UK or Ireland.

Astrophotography tips for your phoneread more
Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
Late season views as summer rolls on. Your weather - Your shots. . . Sunday 9 August 2026
Split image showing a horseback ride along a green hillside trail beneath blue skies on the left and a small sailboat on a calm coastal bay under broken clouds on the right.
Sunday 9 August 2026

Your weather - Your shots

Late season views as summer rolls on
Getting through the latest heatwave. Tips to beat the heat. . . Tuesday 11 August 2026
Split graphic showing temperatures up to 35°C in England and 28°C in Ireland beside a person applying sunscreen, with a heat warning symbol highlighting hot weather.
Tuesday 11 August 2026

Tips to beat the heat

Getting through the latest heatwave
Your moments from the solar eclipse. A unique sight. . . Wednesday 12 August 2026
Split image showing a total solar eclipse glowing through dramatic clouds on the left and a multi-exposure eclipse sequence tracing the Sun across a blue sky on the right.
Wednesday 12 August 2026

A unique sight

Your moments from the solar eclipse
All weather news
This might also interest you
Flooding, gales, and heavy snow. Storm Chandra. . . Tuesday 27 January 2026
Split image showing aerial flooding in a town with muddy water covering roads on the left, and a rural road on the right blocked by heavy snowfall with vans stopped and a person walking in snow.
Tuesday 27 January 2026

Storm Chandra

Flooding, gales, and heavy snow
Super Typhoon Bavi threatens Taiwan. Up to 1,000 mm of rain. . Weather Videos. Wednesday 8 July 2026
The image shows an intense tropical cyclone over the western Pacific, east of Taiwan and the Philippines. The centre of the system is depicted as a light purple and white vortex with a clearly visible eye, surrounded by a ring of red and orange areas indicating the strongest wind speeds. A white arrow marks the typhoon’s predicted track towards the north-west, in the direction of Taiwan. To the west of the storm lie the Philippines, with the cities of Manila and Cebu; to the north of these lies Taiwan, with Taipei. Further west, the Chinese coast, including Hong Kong, and parts of Vietnam can be seen. The coloured wind map shows predominantly green areas outside the storm’s core, indicating significantly weaker winds. White streamlines illustrate the typhoon’s anti-clockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. The highest wind speeds are concentrated around the eye of the cyclone.
Weather VideosWednesday 8 July 2026

Up to 1,000 mm of rain

Super Typhoon Bavi threatens Taiwan
Bright and warm conditions take hold. Spring-like outlook. . . Thursday 23 April 2026
Split UK map showing warm temperatures up to 21 degrees in orange on the left and clear sunny conditions with temperatures from 12 to 18 degrees on the right, with sun icons across the country.
Thursday 23 April 2026

Spring-like outlook

Bright and warm conditions take hold
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwitteryouTubelinkList