You get a moonlight-free chance to watch for Southern Taurid shooting stars as the shower reaches its listed maximum today. (Taurid viewing guide)

• Southern Taurids: Once the sky is dark, settle into a wide, unobstructed view overhead rather than a telescope’s narrow view. You need only your eyes, warm clothes and patience; the Royal Observatory lists roughly five meteors per hour at maximum, not a guaranteed count (Taurid viewing guide).
• Lingering Draconids: During the evening, look broadly around the northern sky and overhead. The shower’s apparent starting point sits high in Draco, but meteors can appear anywhere. October 10 is the last day of its listed activity, so treat a sighting as a bonus rather than a promise (Draconids guide).

At our mid-Atlantic reference near Allentown, sunset is 6:30 PM Eastern and the Moon sets at 6:13 PM, leaving your nighttime watch free of lunar glare (sunset timetable; Moon timetable).

Moon note: New Moon is today at 11:50 AM Eastern; the next moonrise is 8:15 AM Eastern tomorrow, October 11, at our reference location (Moon timetable).

Enjoy a little time under the sky, and join the free NOOMMED newsletter for your next backyard outing.