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The constellation of Scorpius - the most recognisably of the winter
constellations - is beginning to ‘dive’ towards the western horizon.
Below it, planets Jupiter (the brighter) and Mercury (closest
together on October 22) are close to disappearing into the evening
twilight. The Southern Cross and Pointers are also relatively low on
the south-western horizon. The Great Square of Pegasus is rising
above the north-eastern horizon.
This time of year sees the Small Magellanic Cloud at its highest.
This is a neighbouring galaxy and one of the most distant objects
visible to the naked eye. Its light takes 180 000 years to reach us.
To see it, look when there is no moonlight (after October 8 and
before October 25) and preferably away from city lights. It appears
as a small fuzzy patch; its stars are too faint to see individually.
Binoculars will reveal a ‘fuzzy ball’ next to it - the foreground
globular cluster ‘47 Tucanae’ - but at 15 000 ‘light years’, its
stars are also too faint to see individually.
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