The last stretch of October packs a lot into the night sky, and the longer evenings give you more time to take it in since nighttime arrives much earlier than it did only a few weeks ago.

The Orionid meteor shower is peaking this week, with the best viewing in the predawn hours of Oct. 22 and 23, though it will remain active into November, so you’ve got plenty of time to catch it.

Saturn reached opposition on Oct. 4 and is still at its brightest of the year, rising around sunset and staying visible most of the night, making it a great candidate for eager stargazers looking for something to spy in the night sky.

The full Hunter’s Moon follows on Oct. 26, and once it starts to wane, the darker evenings around Halloween offer a final good look at the Milky Way before winter. All eight planets are also visible somewhere in October’s sky for anyone willing to head out at different times of night.

You can see all eight planets this month

Mercury is visible just before sunset for several days in October.…