What to see in the autumn sky

September, October and November

The nights get long again and the sky is quieter than winter’s — autumn is the season for the furthest thing you can see with your own eyes.

Everything below is highest in the evening in these months. South of the equator the months are the same, but they fall in the opposite season.

With your own eyes

Algoleclipsing binaryNaked eyeMiraMira variableNaked eyeThe Andromeda Galaxy (M31)spiral galaxyNaked eye

With binoculars

51 PegasistarBinocularsSS Cygnicataclysmic variableBinocularsThe Triangulum Galaxy (M33)spiral galaxyBinoculars

With a small telescope

The Helix Nebulaplanetary nebula150 mm telescopeThe Fireworks Galaxy (NGC 6946)spiral galaxy150 mm telescope

And the planets?

Planets do not keep to seasons — they wander, which is what the word means. Each one has its own page with a month-by-month table saying when to look for it.