Monday, November 2- Moon passes the Bull's Face (all night)
On Monday, Nov. 2, the orbital motion (green line) of the waxing gibbous moon will carry it close above the Hyades cluster — the collection of stars that form the triangular face of Taurus, the bull. The bright orange star Aldebaran, which marks the southern eye of the bull, will sit several finger widths below (or 4 degrees to the celestial south) of the moon. To better see the Hyades' stars, many of which are doubles, hide the bright moon just above your binoculars' field of view (red circle).
Credit- Space.com
Wednesday, November 4 - Moon passes the Sheo-Buckle Cluster.
After it rises in the early evening on Wednesday, Nov. 4, the waning gibbous moon will be positioned less than a lunar diameter below (or half a degree to the celestial south of) the large open star cluster designated Messier 35, or the Shoe-Buckle, in Gemini. During the rest of the night, the moon's orbital motion (green line) will draw it away from the cluster. To better see the cluster's stars, wait until they are higher in mid-evening, and then hide the bright moon just below the field of view of your binoculars (red circle).
Credit- Space.com
Thursday, November 5- Southern Taurids Meteor Shower Peak(After Midnight)
Meteors from the Northern Taurids shower, which appear worldwide from September 23rd to Nov. 19 annually, will reach a peak of about 10 per hour on Thursday, Nov. 5. The long-lasting, weak shower is derived from debris dropped by the passage of periodic Comet 2P/Encke. The debris' larger than average grain sizes often produce colourful fireballs. Although Earth will be traversing the densest part of the comet's debris train during mid-day in the Americas, the best viewing time will occur hours earlier, at around 1 a.m. local time, when the shower's radiant, located in central Taurus, will be high in the southern sky. A bright, waning gibbous moon will shine all night long, somewhat spoiling the shower.
Credit- Space.com
Sunday, November 8 - Last Quarter Moon
When it reaches its last quarter phase at 6:46 pm EST on Sunday, Nov. 8 (1346 GMT), the moon will rise at around midnight, and then remain visible in the southern sky all morning. At last quarter, the moon is illuminated on its western side, towards the pre-dawn sun. Last quarter moons are positioned ahead of the Earth in our trip around the sun. About 3½ hours later, Earth will occupy that same location in space. The week of moonless evening skies that follow last quarter will be ideal for observing deep-sky targets.
Credit- Space.com
Tuesday, November 10-Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, the planet Mercury will reach a maximum angle of 19 degrees from the sun, and peak visibility for this morning apparition. Look for the swiftly-moving planet shining brightly very low in the east-southeastern sky between about 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. in your local time zone. In a telescope (inset) Mercury will exhibit a 58%-illuminated, waxing gibbous phase. Mercury's position above the morning ecliptic (green line) will make this an excellent apparition for Northern Hemisphere observers, but a poor showing for those located near the Equator, and farther south.
Credit- Space.com
Thursday, November 12-Northern Taurids Meteor Shower Peak
Meteors from the Northern Taurids shower, which appear worldwide from Oct. 19 to Dec. 10 annually, will reach a peak of about 15 per hour on Thursday, Nov. 12. The long-lasting, weak shower is derived from debris dropped by the passage of periodic Comet 2P/Encke. The debris' larger than average grain sizes often produce colourful fireballs. Although Earth will be traversing the densest part of the comet's debris train during mid-day in the Americas, the best viewing time will occur hours earlier, at around 1 a.m. local time, when the shower's radiant, located in central Taurus, will be high in the southern sky. On the peak night, a waning crescent moon will rise around 4 a.m. local time, leaving the post-midnight sky dark for meteor watching.
Credit- Space.com
Thursday, November 12 - Crescent Moon and Venus
In the eastern sky for about two hours preceding dawn on Thursday, Nov. 12, the old crescent moon will be positioned a palm's width above (or 6 degrees to the celestial west of) the bright planet Venus — making a lovely photo opportunity when composed with some interesting scenery. The following morning, the moon's orbital motion (green line) will carry it to Venus' lower left.
Credit- Space.com
Friday, November 13 - Crescent Moon between Mercury and Venus
In the eastern pre-dawn sky on Friday, Nov. 13, the pretty, crescent moon will sit above Mercury and below much brighter Venus. Look for Virgo's brightest star Spica, sitting off to the moon's right, and the very bright star Arcturus way off to the upper left. The group will make a lovely photo opportunity when composed with some interesting scenery. 
Credit- Space.com
Sunday, November 15 - New Moon and Large Tides
At its new phase, the moon is travelling between Earth and the sun. Since sunlight can only reach the far side of the moon, and the moon is in the same region of the sky as the sun, the moon will become completely hidden from view. This new moon, occurring only 17 hours after perigee (the moon's closest approach to Earth), will trigger large tides around the world.
Credit- Space.com
Sunday, November 15 - Mars Revers Direction
On Sunday, Nov. 15, Mars will cease its westward motion through the stars of Pisces, ending a retrograde loop (the red path with labelled dates) that began in early September. From this point on, Mars will resume regular easterly prograde motion and pass out of Pisces in early January.
Credit- Space.com
Tuesday, November 17 - Leonids Meteor Shower Peaks
The Leonids Meteor shower, derived from material left by repeated passages of periodic Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, runs from Nov. 5 to Dec. 3, annually. The peak of the shower, when up to 20 meteors per hour are predicted — many with persistent trains — will occur at 2300 GMT on Tuesday, Nov. 17 — when Earth will be traversing the densest part of the comet's debris trail. For observers in the Americas, the best viewing times for Leonids are Tuesday and Wednesday morning before dawn, when the radiant in Leo will be high in the eastern sky. A young, crescent moon on the peak date will set after sunset, leaving the overnight sky nicely dark for meteors.
Credit- Space.com
Wednesday, November 18 - Algol at Minimum Brightness
Algol, also designated Beta Persei, is among the most accessible variable stars for skywatchers. Its naked-eye brightness dims noticeably for about 10 hours once every 2 days, 20 hours, and 49 minutes because a dim companion star orbiting nearly edge-on to Earth crosses in front of the much brighter main star, reducing the total light output we receive. On Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 6:55 p.m. EST (2355 GMT), Algol will reach its minimum brightness of magnitude 3.4, which is almost exactly the same as the star Rho Persei that sits two finger widths to Algol's right. At 6:55 p.m., for observers in the Eastern time zone, Algol will sit 40 degrees above the northeastern horizon. Five hours later, at 11:55 p.m. EST (0608 GMT), Algol will be high in the eastern sky and will have brightened to its usual magnitude of 2.1.
Credit- Space.com
Thursday, November 19 - Crescent Moon near Jupiter and Saturn
In the southwestern sky for a few hours after sunset on Thursday, Nov. 19, the waxing crescent moon will pay its monthly visit to the gas giant planets Jupiter and Saturn — forming a squat triangle with dimmer Saturn at the top. The trio will make a lovely photo opportunity when composed with some interesting foreground scenery.
Credit- Space.com
Saturday, November 21 - First quarter Moon
When the moon completes the first quarter of its orbit around Earth at 11:45 p.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 21 , the relative positions of the Earth, sun and moon will cause us to see it half-illuminated — on its eastern side. At first quarter, the moon always rises around noon and sets around midnight, so it is also visible in the afternoon daytime sky. The evenings surrounding the first quarter are the best for seeing the lunar terrain when it is dramatically lit by low-angled sunlight.
Credit- Space.com
Monday, November 23 - The Lunar Straight Wall
On Monday evening, Nov. 23, the pole-to-pole terminator that divides the lit and dark hemispheres of the waxing gibbous moon, will fall just to the left (or lunar west) of Rupes Recta, also known as the Lunar Straight Wall. The rupes, Latin for "cliff", is a north-south aligned fault scarp that extends for 65 miles (110 km) across the southeastern part of Mare Nubium, which sits in the lower third of the moon's Earth-facing hemisphere. The wall, which is very easy to see in good binoculars and backyard telescopes, is most prominent a day or two after the first quarter, and also the days before last quarter. For reference, the very bright crater Tycho is located due south of the Straight Wall.
Credit- Space.com
Wednesday, November 25 - Bright Moon meets Mars
In the southeastern sky after dusk on Wednesday, Nov. 25, the waxing gibbous moon will be located a generous fist diameter to the right (or 5 degrees to the celestial southwest) of reddish Mars. The moon and Mars will cross the sky together until well after midnight. By then, the diurnal rotation of the sky, and the moon's eastward orbital motion, will shift the moon to 10 degrees below Mars in the western sky.
Credit- Space.com
Thursday, November 26 - Sinus Iridum's Golden Handle
On Thursday night, Nov. 26, the pole-to-pole terminator that divides the lit and dark hemispheres of the waxing gibbous moon will fall to the left (or lunar west) of Sinus Iridium, the Bay of Rainbows. The circular, 155 miles (249 km) diameter feature is a large impact crater that was flooded by the same basalts that filled the much larger Mare Imbrium to its right (lunar east) — forming a rounded, handle-shape on the western edge of that mare. You can see it with sharp eyes — and easily in binoculars and backyard telescopes. The "Golden Handle" is produced when slanted sunlight brightly illuminates the eastern side of the prominent, curved Montes Jura mountain range that surrounds the bay on the top and left (north and west), and by a pair of protruding promontories named Heraclides and Laplace to the bottom and top, respectively. Sinus Iridium is almost craterless but hosts a set of northeast-oriented dorsal or "wrinkle ridges" that are revealed under magnification at this phase.
0 Comments