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November 2008

Skywatcher’s Guide for November 2008

Planets

This sky chart shows the planets Venus, Jupiter and the Moon in bright evening twilight, along with the Moon in the western evening sky on November 1-2, and 3-4 about 1 hour after sunset from southern Arizona and the Desert Southwest.
This sky chart shows the planets Venus, Jupiter and the Moon in bright evening twilight, along with the Moon in the western evening sky on November 1-2, and 3-4 about 1 hour after sunset from southern Arizona and the Desert Southwest.
This sky chart shows the planets Venus, Jupiter and the Moon in bright evening twilight, along with the Moon in the western evening sky on November 29 and 30 about 1 hour after sunset from southern Arizona and the Desert Southwest.
This sky chart shows the planets Venus, Jupiter and the Moon in bright evening twilight, along with the Moon in the western evening sky on November 29 and 30 about 1 hour after sunset from southern Arizona and the Desert Southwest.

This chart shows Saturn and Mercury in the eastern sky on November 1, 2008 in the morning twilight about 45 minutes before sunrise. This sky chart is useful throughout much of the USA, southern Canada and northern Mexico.
This chart shows Saturn and Mercury in the eastern sky on November 1, 2008 in the morning twilight about 45 minutes before sunrise. This sky chart is useful throughout much of the USA, southern Canada and northern Mexico.

HIGHLIGHTS: The two normally brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, are now both easily seen with the unaided eye in bright evening twilight. Although far apart in the sky early in the month, the two will gradually move closer, towards their spectacular grouping this month on November 28-30. The crescent Moon joins the two for a wonderful trio of the three normally brightest objects in the night sky (Mars can be briefly brighter than Jupiter every 12-15 years). Flandrau will host a special Jupiter and Venus viewing event on its University of Arizona campus location on Friday Nov. 28 and Saturday Nov. 29.

Bright Jupiter is prominent in the southwestern sky during the first week of November in twilight and for an hour after sunset but yields prominence to brilliant Venus as the month progresses. All month long look for Venus and Jupiter to move closer in our sky: The two group within 2 degrees of one another by the end of the month, the most spectacular grouping of two planets in the sky this year! Flandrau will host a special viewing event on Friday Nov. 28, and Saturday Nov. 29 to view this spectacular grouping: click here for details.

Jupiter appears one hour after sunset as a very bright, almost brilliant white star-like object, well above the southwestern horizon in November. On November 1 Jupiter is still bright (around magnitude -2.2) and large in a telescope (36 arc seconds), though by November 30 has faded somewhat (to magnitude -2.0 and 34 arc seconds) from its brightest and largest back in July. November (especially early in the month) continues to be a good time to view the giant planet but you need to look in evening twilight. Look for bright, whitish Jupiter just east (or roughly ‘left’) of the Teapot of Sagittarius: It’s the brightest star like object well up in the evening sky until late in November when it is near Venus. Jupiter is highest and due south in bright evening twilight in early November but continues to lose altitude in the southern sky each night this month as it slowly approaches Venus in the southwest. The two reach just over 2 degrees apart in our sky on Saturday November 29, and are slightly closer on Sunday November 30, when the Moon is visible below the pair. On Monday night December 1st the Moon is closest to both planets in our sky, making for a rare and spectacular grouping of solar system objects. Also, look for the waxing gibbous Moon to be visible nearest Jupiter in the southwestern sky on Monday evening, November 3.

When looking at Jupiter in a telescope to view its cloud belts and festoons, the sharpest views should be just after sunset in evening twilight, when at or near its highest in the twilight sky this month. As with any planet viewing is dependent on atmospheric stability and conditions, planet altitude in our sky, and of course, the quality and size of the telescope used. However to view its moons, a good pair of binoculars is all that’s needed. Jupiter sets in the west-southwest around 9:45 p.m on November 1, around 9:00 p.m on November 15 and around 8:25 p.m. in late November.

The brilliant planet Venus continues to move higher above the southwestern horizon, nearer Jupiter in our sky in the evening twilight this month. White Venus is the brightest star like object normally ever seen in the sky. Venus starts November about 14 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon about 45 minutes after sunset, and creeps higher each evening, reaching 21 degrees above the southwestern horizon at that time by November 30. The 4 day old crescent Moon this month is near but well east of Venus, above the southwestern horizon on November 1. In late November, as Jupiter is nearest Venus in our sky on November 30, a 3 day old crescent Moon is about 8 degrees below both tightly grouped Venus and Jupiter, a night before a spectacular grouping of the three on December 1.

Saturn rises earlier and creeps higher above the eastern horizon in the pre-dawn hours this November. By late November Saturn rises near 1 a.m. Look for Saturn in the morning twilight high above the eastern horizon as a 1st magnitude star-like object, 90 minutes to one hour before sunrise. In early November Saturn is over 30 degrees above the eastern horizon, one hour before sunrise but by late November climbs to over 30 degrees in altitude at that time. Saturn is found in the constellation Leo the Lion, far below its bright star Regulus, The 24 day old waning crescent Moon is found below and nearest Saturn in our sky on Friday morning, November 21.

On the morning of November 1 elusive planet Mercury is a few degrees above the eastern horizon in the dawn twlight starting 55 minutes before sunrise (or starting at 5:45 a.m. MST from southern Arizona). Mercury quickly and noticeably sinks toward the horizon on successive mornings, but remains bright as it does so. Mercury is lost from view by the second week of November.

Faint Mars is now lost in the glare of the Sun until it reappears as a dim object in the February 2009 morning sky.

Visitors to Flandrau’s 16-inch telescope should note that only the planet Jupiter is visible this month in the telescope after it opens at 7 p.m. The telescope normally closes at 10 p.m.

Finally, remember that in spotting planets there is a general rule: ’stars twinkle, planets don’t’. This is because stars are point sources of light; therefore starlight is easily disturbed and shifted by air currents in the Earth’s atmosphere. However when looking at Mercury right now, note that it may appear to twinkle somewhat; however, this twinkling is of a slower nature than the bright stars.

LEONID METEOR SHOWER WASHED OUT BY MOONLIGHT

This sky chart is useful around the United States but is most accurate for observers in the southern United States looking north-northeast around 2 a.m. from Nov. 16-19.
This sky chart is useful around the United States but is most accurate for observers in the southern United States looking north-northeast around 2 a.m. from Nov. 16-19.

The Leonid Meteor Shower, which peaks in the pre-dawn hours of November 17 and 18, will be largely washed out by the large waning gibbous Moon this year. The Leonids, which have put on spectacular shows during 1998-2002, are known for producing greatly enhanced activity every 33 years as Earth plows through dense portions of the debris trail left by Comet Temple-Tuttle. Unfortunately, Earth has recently finished experiencing that 33 year cycle, so only greater than normal activity might occur this year.

In any event the shower is well worth keeping an eye on, in case the Leonids prove to be as unpredictable as they have in the recent past. The radiant (that is the area of sky where the Leonids appear to originate from) rises at local midnight, so meteor watchers should start gazing at that time, and look until dawn. Sky gazers should be alert and outside during all the probable maximum dates from November 16-19 as unexpected meteor peaks may occur. The Leonids often produce brilliant fast meteors, so even a few bright Leonids like this are well worth seeing! Dark viewing locations are still highly recommended: glare from artificial light sources will certainly reduce the amount of meteors seen! Dark sky locations in Tucson favored for viewing this shower will be east of Tucson, such as Saguaro National Park East, at the east end of Speedway and Broadway Boulevards.

NOVEMBER STARS

The November evening night sky looking west around 10 p.m. in early November, from 9 p.m. in mid-November and around 8 p.m. in late November.
The November evening night sky looking west around 10 p.m. in early November, from 9 p.m. in mid-November and around 8 p.m. in late November.
The November evening night sky looking high above the southern horizon around 9 p.m. in early November, from 8 p.m. in mid-November and around 7 p.m. in late November.
The November evening night sky looking high above the southern horizon around 9 p.m. in early November, from 8 p.m. in mid-November and around 7 p.m. in late November.

In the western sky at the end of evening twilight anywhere in the continental United States, southern Canada and all of Mexico, stargazers can find the bright stars of the widely spaced triangle Summer Triangle: Vega, Deneb, and Altair. Because it’s November the Summer Triangle is losing altitude, and sets in the western sky around midnight (Altair sets at 11 p.m. mid-month). Vega, Altair, and Deneb are each the brightest stars of three constellations that make up the Summer Triangle. Vega is the brightest star in the small constellation of Lyra, the Lyre (a small ancient harp). Vega, one of the closer stars to Earth (at only 25 light years away), was the Pole Star (our North Star) some 12,000 years ago, and will again be the North Star in 14,000 A.D. when Earth’s cyclical wobbling motion brings in near the pole once more. Deneb is the tail of Cygnus the Swan, but also marks the bottom of the cross-shaped pattern whose other name is the Northern Cross. Deneb is a huge supergiant star over 1,600 light years from Earth. Aquila, the Eagle is the home of the bright star Altair, the first star of the three in the triangle to set late at night and the closest of the three to Earth at only 17 light years distant. Aquila looks more like a diamond or kite than an Eagle. Aquila and Cygnus (or the Northern Cross) mark some of the brightest areas of the northern Milky Way, which is prominent in dark skies on moonless November nights.

Remaining at center stage in November is the Great Square of Pegasus. Find the Great Square quite a ways up from Fomalhaut, the bright star marking the Southern Fish (Pisces Austrinus), which lies somewhat low in the south. The eastern corner star of the “Great Square” of Pegasus, Alpheratz, is actually also the head of Andromeda, the Chained Lady or Princess. In Andromeda, is the “Great Andromeda Galaxy”, M31, which can be viewed as a fuzzy spot in binoculars. Rising in the eastern sky (and far from M31) is the Seven Sisters (or Pleiades) star cluster, a wonderful sight in binoculars.

MOON PHASES

The November last quarter Moon will occur on Thursday morning, November 1st. The November new moon occurs on the night of November 9. The November first quarter Moon will occur on Saturday evening, November 17th. The November full Moon can be called the full ‘Beaver or Frosty’ Moon and rises on Friday evening November 23rd and sets Saturday morning November 24th.

Note: Additional information can be accessed by phone at Flandrau Science Center’s Astronomy Newsline at (520) 621-4310 or as a menu option at 621-S-T-A-R.

Graphics done using Starry Night Pro and Adobe Photoshop. To purchase Starry Night Enthusiast go to http://StarryNight.com.

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