October’s sky is packed with epic astronomical events. The dwarf planet Ceres reaches peak brightness, the Orionid and Draconid meteor showers light up the night, and Mercury makes one of its best evening appearances of the year. Add in a supermoon and galaxies visible overhead, and it’s a strong month for stargazing.

Here are nine dazzling celestial highlights not to miss.

Prime views of the Andromeda Galaxy and Ceres—October 2

The neighboring Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31 (M31), will reach its highest point in the night sky on October 2, around midnight local time. Under very dark skies, it’s visible to the naked eye, though binoculars or a telescope make it far easier to spot.

( Our galaxy is due to crash into its neighbor—but when ?)

On the same night, the dwarf

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