Abrams Planetarium Starline

Abrams Planetarium Starline http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/starline/ What's up in the night sky this month. November 2009 Starline Podcast http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/starline/starline2009nov-pod.mp3 You are reading the Abrams Planetarium Sky Information podcast for November 2009. Jupiter is easily visible in the evening sky. Look to the south for the giant gas planet. Jupiter is in the stars of Capricornus the Sea Goat. Jupiter sets about six hours after sunset. Eighth magnitude Neptune is to the upper left of Jupiter. By the month's end, the two planets are just 3° apart. Mars rises before Jupiter sets. Mars and Jupiter are about 170° apart. Look for Mars to rise in the east-northeast when Jupiter is setting in the west-southwest. By dawn, Mars is high in the south. Mars starts November in the Beehive star cluster and ends the month 10° to the east of the cluster. The ringed planet Saturn can be found in the east-southeast at dawn. Saturn rises 4½ hours before the Sun at mid-month. Saturn's rings are tilted about 4° from edgewise. Venus is to the lower left of Saturn. Venus can be found low in the east-southeast at dawn. By the end of the month, Venus moves too close to the Sun to be seen. Venus will emerge from behind the Sun in the February evening sky. The Last Quarter Moon is near Mars on the 9th. The waning crescent is near Saturn the morning of the 12th. An old thin crescent may be spotted to the lower right of Venus on the 15th. The waxing gibbous Moon is near Jupiter in the evening of the 23rd. The Moon is Full on the 2nd, Last Quarter on the 9th, New on the 16th and First Quarter on the 24th. The MSU Observatory is closed for the winter, the next open house will be in the spring. If you have further questions, or wish to request a sample Sky Calendar/star map which will help you find the objects mentioned in this message, call us at 517-355-4676 during regular business hours, weekdays 9:00 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Thanks for reading the Abrams Planetarium Sky Information podcast for November 2009.