Humanity’s understanding of the solar system has evolved dramatically following the advent of spaceflight. Over the past seven decades, thousands of sophisticated spacecraft have been launched on ambitious missions to look down on our planet, explore the wonders of our star’s domain, or venture into the interstellar realm beyond it.
The imagery and scientific data collected by these robotic explorers have inspired generations and forever altered how we view our planet and the universe around us. As a result, spacecraft such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the venerable Voyager 1 probe are now household names. But how many of us actually know where they are as they beam back their precious data? How many of us have peered into the areas of space where they orbit or sail through the cosmos?
Read on to discover the approximate locations of five far-flung spacecraft in the October night sky.
—
### If You’re New to Exploring the Stars
Be sure to check out our roundup of the best smartphone astronomy apps. These apps use augmented reality technology to help guide you to the locations of everything from stars and nebulas to galaxies, wandering comets, and spacecraft.
—
## Find the Locations of Famous Spacecraft in the October Night Sky
### James Webb Space Telescope
**Distance from Earth:** 907,000 miles (1.46 million km)
The James Webb Space Telescope launched on Christmas Day in 2021 with a mission to unravel the mysteries surrounding the creation and evolution of the cosmos. From its gravitationally stable vantage point at Lagrange Point 2, the JWST peers into deep space to capture ancient light from the early universe and observe the formation of stars, protoplanetary systems, and much more.
To locate JWST in the night sky, first find the red star Aldebaran, visible halfway up the eastern sky above the familiar stars of the constellation Orion around midnight in October. Next, scan the region above until you spot the diffuse, hazy light of the Pleiades star cluster. The Webb telescope will be approximately 5 degrees below the Pleiades—roughly the width of your three middle fingers held at arm’s length.
As October progresses, Webb will travel closer to Aldebaran and the other stars of the Taurus constellation.
**Note:** Although this guide shows you the approximate location of the spacecraft, it is impossible to actually spot JWST with the naked eye or even the most powerful telescopes due to its small size and great distance.
—
### Parker Solar Probe
**Distance from Earth:** 91 million miles (147.6 million km)
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe made history on April 28, 2021, by becoming the first spacecraft to “touch” the Sun, passing through its outer atmosphere (the corona) during its eighth of 24 planned close approaches. It has flown seven times closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft, enduring temperatures nearing 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit (1,300 degrees Celsius) to study the solar wind’s plasma and magnetic field dynamics.
In October, the Parker Solar Probe can be found low in the southwestern sky at sunset. You’ll need a clear horizon view to spot this region before it sets.
Start by locating the bright star Antares in the constellation Scorpius. The Parker Solar Probe lies about 5 degrees to the upper left of Antares. Above it shines the constellation Ophiuchus, while the distinctive “teapot” asterism of Sagittarius is to its left.
—
### NASA’s Juno Spacecraft
**Distance from Earth:** 464.8 million miles (748 million km)
Juno entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016 and has spent nearly a decade—and several mission extensions—collecting invaluable data on the gas giant and its diverse moons. Its most recent mission extension expired on the day the current government shutdown began, casting uncertainty on its future operations.
To find Juno’s location, look high overhead in the eastern sky during the predawn hours of October. Locate the bright stars Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini. Jupiter will appear as a bright “morning star,” shining steadily to the lower right of Castor and Pollux.
Juno remains somewhere in orbit around Jupiter, which is far too small to be seen from Earth.
—
### New Horizons
**Distance from Earth:** 5.88 billion miles (9.46 billion km)
Launched in January 2006, New Horizons became the first human-made object to visit the dwarf planet Pluto in July 2015, after a nine-year journey. The brief flyby transformed our understanding of Pluto, revealing surprising details about its composition, tenuous atmosphere, and its largest moon, Charon.
In 2019, New Horizons flew past the Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth and is now collecting heliophysics data as it travels toward interstellar space, which it is expected to reach in the 2040s.
To locate New Horizons in the night sky, first find the famous “teapot” asterism at the heart of Sagittarius, just above the southern horizon in the hours following sunset in October. From a dark sky, you might see the glowing band of the Milky Way running through the “spout” of the teapot.
Next, look above the trapezium of stars forming the handle of the teapot and locate the star Pi Sagittarii using a smartphone astronomy app. New Horizons is approximately 1 degree to the upper right of this star.
—
### Voyager 1
**Distance from Earth:** 15.72 billion miles (25 billion km)
Voyager 1 is the most distant human-made object ever launched. It became the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space in August 2012 after passing beyond the heliosphere—a giant protective bubble created by the solar wind that shields our solar system from cosmic rays.
Voyager 1 carries one of NASA’s famed Golden Records, containing greetings, images, and sounds from Earth as a time capsule and a message of friendly first contact for any future finders.
To locate Voyager 1 in the night sky, find the constellation Ophiuchus close to the western horizon after sunset in October. Identify the brightest point of light in the constellation—the binary star system Rasalhague—and locate its neighbor, Kappa Ophiuchi, to the lower right.
Voyager 1’s approximate position lies halfway along the imaginary line connecting these two stellar giants.
—
Exploring the sky and knowing where these incredible spacecraft are can deepen our connection to the vast universe and the remarkable achievements of human ingenuity reaching far beyond Earth. Happy stargazing!
https://www.space.com/stargazing/heres-where-the-james-webb-space-telescope-and-4-other-legendary-spacecraft-are-in-the-night-sky-october-2025
Be First to Comment