October 31, 2022
The tradition of Halloween stems from our ancestors’ interests in tracking the seasons. Traditionally, Halloween marked the start of the dark half of the year in the northern hemisphere. This was seen as the start of winter. The day we call the winter solstice was originally considered mid-winter. Today Halloween is a cross-quarter day which marks the halfway point between an equinox and solstice. Each year as we carve pumpkins, it is a nice reminder the nights are growing longer.
The southern sky as it will appear tonight at 8:30 pm. While you’re out trick-or-treating, look for the first quarter moon, Jupiter, and Saturn. Star map created using Stellarium
