You can catch a growing crescent Moon low in the southwest tonight before it sets at 7:41 PM Eastern. (sunset timetable; Moon timetable)
- Crescent Moon: Try looking low in the southwest around 7 PM Eastern. Sunset is 6:25 PM at our mid-Atlantic reference near Allentown, Pennsylvania, and moonset follows at 7:41 PM. Choose a clear horizon: you have about 76 minutes between sunset and moonset, but trees or buildings can shorten your view (sunset timetable; Moon timetable).
- Southern Taurid meteors: After the Moon sets, settle into a broad view overhead rather than a telescope’s narrow field. You need only your eyes, though spotting a streak takes patience. These slow meteors remain active through November 20, and tonight falls three days after their listed October 10 maximum (Moon timetable; Royal Observatory; Taurid viewing guide).
Keep your meteor expectations gentle. The Royal Observatory lists about five Taurids per hour under ideal conditions at maximum, not a guaranteed count for your backyard tonight (Royal Observatory).
Moon note: Waxing crescent; next rise is 11:30 AM Eastern tomorrow, October 14, at our reference location (Moon timetable).
Enjoy a little time under the sky, and join the free NOOMMED newsletter for your next backyard outing.