7 Celestial Events You Can’t-Miss on Oct. 3

Geomagnetic Storm: A recent solar coronal hole drove a strong G3 geomagnetic storm on Oct. 1–2, spreading auroras into mid-latitudes ^[1]. By Oct. 3 the storm should ease to only minor (G1) levels ^[2] ^[3]. Watch the northern sky late on Oct. 2–3 for the last aurora displays; by Oct. 4 conditions will calm as solar wind subsides ^[4] ^[5]. NOAA warns of G2–G1 storming Oct. 2–3 (down from G3 on Oct.2) ^[6].
Bright Satellites: NASA’s Spot the Station alerts remind skywatchers that the International Space Station (ISS) is bright at dawn/dusk ^[7]. New Starlink satellite trains are likely – SpaceX is launching batches on Oct. 2 (Vandenberg) and Oct. 5 (Florida) ^[8]. After these flights, look for linear “trains” of fast-moving dots crossing the early-night sky (as seen recently) ^[9] ^[10].
Planet Sightings: In the west after sunset, Saturn is high and brilliant (+0.9 mag) in Aquarius (post-opposition) ^[11]. On Oct. 4–5 the bright waxing gibbous Moon slides past Saturn in the southeast ^[12] (the star Fomalhaut is nearby). Mercury and dim Mars hug the southwestern horizon at dusk, with Mercury’s best evening elongation coming later this month ^[13]. In the early morning sky, two “bright star”-like planets dominate: Venus (lower right) and Jupiter (above) ^[14].
Moon Events: The Moon is a waxing gibbous, about 85–90% lit on Oct. 3–4 and heading toward the Oct. 6 Full “Harvest” Supermoon ^[15]. Notably, Oct. 4, 2025 is International Observe the Moon Night ^[16] – a worldwide event encouraging moonwatching. (No eclipses this weekend, but enjoy the bright, almost-full Moon as it rises after sunset.)
Meteor Activity: No major meteor shower peaks exactly on Oct. 3–4. The Draconids will peak around Oct. 8–9 (though moonlight will dim them) ^[17] ^[18], and the Orionids peak mid-month. On Oct. 3–4 you’ll see mostly sporadic meteors or Taurid/Agenid debris. NASA’s all-sky camera network recorded 24 fireballs on Oct. 1 alone ^[19]. Keep an eye out for random bright meteors, especially from late dusk into early dawn.
New Comets: Two recently found comets brighten in October. C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is approaching perihelion Oct. 21. It may reach ~mag 4 (barely naked-eye) by late Oct ^[20]. Lemmon will be low in the eastern sky before dawn (near the Big Dipper) ^[21]. As British comet expert Nick James enthuses, “This comet is developing very nicely and it is already an impressive object, well-placed for observation in the morning sky… It is definitely worth getting up for!” ^[22]. The other newcomer, C/2025 R2 (SWAN), will pass near the star Spica in mid-Oct. Forecasters estimate it will peak around magnitude 6–7 ^[23] – on the cusp of naked-eye visibility. With very dark skies and patience you might glimpse SWAN as a small greenish fuzz. (Good binoculars will help! ^[24])
Sky Conditions: The bright gibbous Moon will wash out faint stars on Oct. 3–4, so plan observations accordingly (maybe hide the Moon behind a barn!). The Zodiacal Light – a faint “false dawn” glow – can still be seen in the eastern sky before full dawn through early October ^[25]. Check local forecasts and plan where to watch the ISS and auroras. For up-to-the-minute predictions, see NOAA’s SWPC space-weather updates and NASA’s Spot the Station alerts ^[26] ^[27].

<div markdown=”1″><!– Begin Satellite Passes Paragraph –> :contentReference[oaicite:27]{index=27}Satellites streak across the sky at dawn/dusk. SpaceX’s Starlink trains are often visible shortly after launch: bright, evenly-spaced lights that move together like a miniature “train”:contentReference[oaicite:28]{index=28}. (Recent launches mean new trains on the nights following Oct. 2–3:contentReference[oaicite:29]{index=29}.) Meanwhile, the ISS is visible as a bright, fast-moving “star” about 90 minutes apart whenever it crosses your sky. NASA notes that all ISS sightings occur within a few hours of sunrise or sunset:contentReference[oaicite:30]{index=30}. Sign up for NASA’s Spot the Station to get precise pass times for your location. </div> <div markdown=”1″><!– Begin Comets Paragraph –> :contentReference[oaicite:31]{index=31}Comet SWAN (green) near the star Spica (bright). Two new comets will be gracing the sky in October. C/2025 R2 (SWAN) was just discovered in SWAN/SOHO images, and amateur trackers report it near 7th magnitude. Models forecast it will peak around mag +6 to +7 in mid-October:contentReference[oaicite:32]{index=32}, flirting with naked-eye visibility. It should appear near Spica in Libra in mid-Oct. C/2025 A6 (Lemmon), found this year, is brightening fast. By late October it may reach mag +4 (barely naked-eye):contentReference[oaicite:33]{index=33}. Lemmon climbs high in the pre-dawn sky, low in the east near the Big Dipper:contentReference[oaicite:34]{index=34}. British astrophotographer Nick James encourages watchers: “This comet is developing very nicely… well-placed for observation in the morning sky… It is definitely worth getting up for!”:contentReference[oaicite:35]{index=35}. Binoculars or a small telescope will reveal each comet’s greenish coma and faint tail to those who seek them. </div>

Sources: Authoritative skywatch forecasts and news by NASA, NOAA/SWPC, SpaceWeather, EarthSky, Space.com and others ^[28] ^[29] ^[30] ^[31] ^[32] ^[33] ^[34] ^[35] ^[36] ^[37]. These institutions provide up-to-date guidance on solar storms, aurora predictions, planet visibility, and transient objects visible in our skies.