Gower Guide to the Night Sky this October
Cefn Bryn sits just high enough to escape most village glow and gives a big, open horizon. On the right nights this October you can catch the Milky Way, bright Saturn, a pre-dawn Jupiter, and two meteor showers.
Best dark windows
The Moon is your built-in light switch. Early October is bright, then it fades.
• Full Moon Tuesday 7 October, bright skies for a few days either side.
• Third Quarter Monday 13 October.
• New Moon Tuesday 21 October, this is your prime dark week.
• First Quarter Wednesday 29 October.
For Milky Way views, aim for the period 16th to 24th October, with the darkest nights centred on 19th to 23rd October.
Planets to spot
• Saturn is excellent all month. It reached opposition in late September, so it remains bright in the evening sky from the southeast to the south. A small telescope shows the rings. Binoculars reveal a small golden disc and sometimes a nearby moon.
• Jupiter is a bright pre-dawn object that climbs higher as the month goes on. It will not reach opposition until early 2026, yet it is already eye-catching before sunrise.
• Venus is a morning planet in early October and gets harder to see toward month end. Look low in the east before sunrise during the first half of the month.
• Mercury and Mars sit very low at dusk around the third week of October. Around 19th to 20th October Mercury passes close to a faint Mars near the western horizon just after sunset. This is a challenge from Gower because of the low altitude, but worth a try over a clear sea horizon.
• Uranus and Neptune need binoculars or a small telescope and darker skies. Uranus improves toward its November opposition. Neptune is very faint but technically in season.
Meteors in October
• Draconids peak around 8th to 9th October. Best seen in the evening, although a bright waning Moon will reduce numbers this year. Block the Moon with a hedge or hill and face north to northwest.
• Orionids peak around 22nd to 23rd October with roughly 15 to 20 meteors per hour in good conditions. The Moon will be only a thin sliver, so this is the month’s best meteor watch. After midnight, face southeast toward Orion.
What to look for from Cefn Bryn
• The Milky Way as a misty band running southwest to northeast during the dark-window dates above. Give your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adapt.
• The Summer Triangle of Vega, Deneb and Altair high after dusk. Use it to trace the Milky Way.
• Cassiopeia to the northeast, the crooked W that sits in the Milky Way stream.
• The Andromeda Galaxy as a faint oval smudge near Cassiopeia. Binoculars make it obvious.
• The Pleiades or Seven Sisters rising in the east later in the evening. A beautiful binocular target.
Where to stand and how to park
• Reynoldston Green is an easy start with amenities close by.
• Lay-bys along the ridge road work well. Keep fully off the tarmac, leave space for passing traffic, and avoid blind summits.
• Broad Pool has a small pull-in and can give reflections on still nights.
•Arthur’s Stone track is wonderfully atmospheric, although parking is tiny. Do not block gates and treat the monument with care.
Keep lights low. Switch headlamps to red if you can. Let your eyes adapt before judging the sky.
Simple kit and phone tips
You do not need a telescope.
• Binoculars in the 8×40 or 10×50 range are perfect. They turn faint smudges into star fields and make Andromeda obvious.
• Warm layers are essential on the ridge. Add hat, gloves, and a windproof layer.
• A chair or mat keeps you comfortable and off damp ground.
• A flask helps you stay out longer.
Phone photos are possible.
Stabilise the phone on a mini-tripod, fencepost or car roof.
Use Night or Pro mode and try 10 to 20 second exposures.
Tap a bright star to focus or set manual focus to infinity.
Use a timer to avoid shake.
Take several frames and stack in-phone if your model supports it.
Safety, wildlife and good manners
Cefn Bryn is open country. Surfaces are uneven. Carry a torch with a red mode and watch for rabbit holes. Keep dogs on leads near livestock and ponies. Avoid flash photography. Close gates, take litter home, and keep noise down for other stargazers and for bats.
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Next month
We will switch from terms to targets and pick the best nights for November, including planets, the Leonids, and a simple binocular tour you can do from the same ridge. If you capture a good photo this month, send it in and we will print a few reader shots in the feature – info@southwalesmedia.com
