The Pleiades, an open star cluster also called ‘The Seven Sisters’.
Giuseppe Donatiello from Oria (Brindisi), Italy, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Messier_45_-_The_Pleiades_-_Flickr_-_gjdonatiello_(1).jpg
We had a pretty decent summer in the UK, I certainly spent plenty of my time outside, away from the city, roaming around with the wildlife. September brings the Autumnal Equinox, beyond which our days become progressively shorter than our nights as we amble towards the winter solstice in December. I yearn for the warm light evenings, the sense of more time to enjoy the day, a longer walk in the countryside, a drink on the beach, a BBQ with friends. The earlier sunsets in Autumn provides us with a sweetener, more time to get better acquainted with the night sky. On a clear night I stop whatever I’m doing, head outside and look up. The white noise in my head clears, my mind resets and I only think of one thing - how literally awesome it all is.
In London, by Halloween, clocks have reverted back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the Sun sets at half past 4. As dusk turns to night we see more stars popping into view. If you head away from streetlights and traffic and allow your eyes to adapt in the dark, you’ll be treated to even more stars. You can still use your star app on your phone (I highly recommend Stellarium) - flip it into night mode, the red tinge won’t destroy your hard- earned night vision.
You’re outside at a reasonable time, you have your app, maybe a flask of something lovely, warm socks and shoes, what to look for? It’s your last chance to see the Summer Triangle before winter sets in, this well-known asterism dominates the western sky. The vertices are marked by the blue supergiant Deneb, dazzling Vega and Altair, all three stars younger and hotter than the Sun.
If planets are your thing, keep a beady eye out for Saturn, visible all night. Look to the southeast an hour after sunset. If you fancy a challenge, try finding the red planet Mars. Our rocky neighbour sets shortly after sunset - it lies very low above the western horizon. If you’re an early riser or on your way home after a night of partying catch the king of planets Jupiter, dominating the southern sky before sunrise.
Look for the galaxy Andromeda a few hours after sunset. You can use averted vision to catch its faint glow – try focusing on a spot next to the galaxy and you’ll see it brighten up in your peripheral vision. There may be up to ten times as many stars in Andromeda compared with our Milky Way. Try finding the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, a young cluster of stars situated in Taurus. Born together in the same nebula, light from these stars travelled for 400 years before reaching your eyes. The stars will eventually disperse and migrate to different parts of the Milky Way.
Even younger stars are forming in the spectacular cosmic stellar nursery called the Orion Nebula. Located in the sword of the majestic constellation Orion, farther than the Pleiades, these infant stars are best seen after midnight. I look forward to seeing Orion, the Greek hunter, a sign that Christmas is coming. Around 21st - 22nd October, Orion harbours a meteor shower called the Orionids. The shower arises from broken up bits from Halley’s Comet, this debris enters our sky at high speeds and we see them as “shooting stars”. The Moon will be new around that time, allowing us to enjoy nature’s firework show without being distracted by lunar glare. The nights may be drawing in, but we won’t let that stop us from staying outside, roaming with the stars.
Find out more
Follow the progress of constellations throughout the seasons and never miss a night sky event wherever you are in the world with this beautiful month-by-month companion to the night sky. The Night Sky Almanac 2026 is out now.