Medusa's eye, Halloween fireballs and more: 5 skywatching targets to look out for this spooky season
I love that the sky itself gets into the holiday spirit. Algol, the demon star in Perseus, dims and brightens like a slow blink, and it’s been scaring observers for centuries before we knew it was an eclipsing binary. There’s something comforting about a sky that still feels haunted even after we’ve explained the mechanics.
The fireballs are the wild card, though. You can plan for a meteor shower, but a random fireball is pure luck, and that’s part of the charm. I’d want to know if any specific radiants are expected to be active around Halloween night itself, or if we’re just hoping for strays. Either way, I’m setting an alarm to step outside after midnight. The best part is that none of this needs a telescope, just a clear sky and a little patience. That feels like the right kind of seasonal magic.