****************************************************** Abrams Planetarium SKYWATCHER'S DIARY November 1996 ****************************************************** The Skywatcher's Diary for November 1996 has been prepared by Robert C. Victor. Credit to Abrams Planetarium, Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University, together with mention of our Sky Calendar, would be appreciated. A sample back issue of Sky Calendar is available over the Internet. It can be viewed via a World-Wide Web browser such as Netscape or Mosaic, directly at URL: http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/skycal.html If you would like a printed sample, send a long, self-addressed stamped envelope to: November Sky Calendar Abrams Planetarium Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 Each month, the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University also makes Skywatcher's Diary available over the Internet. It can be accessed via a World-Wide Web browser such as Netscape or Mosaic, directly at URL: http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/diary.html The Skywatcher's Diary is also available via anonymous ftp at: www.pa.msu.edu in the directory /pub/swd ****************************************************** Moon, Planets, and Comet Hale-Bopp in November Morning Planets: Brilliant Venus rises ahead of the Sun, by about 3 hours on Nov. 1, and 2-1/2 hours on Nov. 30. One hour before sunrise, Venus is well up in ESE to SE, while fainter Mars is high in SE to S, 32 to 53 degrees upper right of Venus, and 2 to 17 degrees east (lower left) of Regulus. Astrophotography project: See separate page. A waning crescent Moon forms pretty groupings with planets and stars in SE morning sky Nov. 4-9. In Skywatcher's Diary, keep in mind that morning events are described on the previous date. Evening planets: Bright Jupiter is in SSW to SW at dusk, getting lower as month progresses; the Moon is nearby on Nov. 14 and 15. Saturn is in ESE to SE at dusk, higher as month progresses; the Moon is nearby on evenings of Nov. 19 and 20. The Moon approaches Aldebaran on the night of Nov. 24. Comet Hale-Bopp may attain first magnitude in March-April 1997. During November 1996, it may brighten slowly to mag 4.5 (use binoculars). Until it sinks into twilight glow in December, best time to see comet remains around end of evening twilight, about 1-1/2 hours after sunset. Best dates this month to observe Hale-Bopp: Nov. 1-17 and 26-30. See our November Sky Calendar for two finder charts plotting the comet's position. To find Comet Hale-Bopp about 1-1/2 hours after sunset, begin with Summer Triangle: Deneb closest to overhead, Vega, the Triangle's brightest star, high in west, and Altair high in SSW to SW. Next, locate the 2nd-mag star Rasalhague, or Alpha in Ophiuchus, lower in WSW to W. Marking the head of Ophiuchus the Serpent-bearer, Alpha Oph stands out as it completes a nearly equilateral triangle, 30 to 34 degrees on each side, with Vega and Altair. Once you're sure of Alpha, find 2.8-mag Beta Oph 8 deg to its lower left, using one of the two detailed finder charts on our November Sky Calendar. Early in November, Comet H-B is 8 deg lower left of Beta Oph.At midmonth, a line from Alpha to Beta Oph, 8 deg long, extended 7 deg beyond Beta, ends at comet. In November's closing days, Hale-Bopp is 7 deg left of Beta Oph. For more on Comet Hale-Bopp, try these Websites: Comet Observation Home Page (JPL/NASA): http://encke.jpl.nasa.gov/ Sky Online's Comet Page: http://www.skypub.com/comets/comets.html Press Info on H-B: http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/ps/HaleBopp.html ********* SKYWATCHER'S DIARY: NOVEMBER 1996 ********* Friday, November 1 One hour before sunrise on Saturday, Moon is high in southern sky, with Procyon, in Canis Minor, the Little Dog, 12 degrees lower right. Pollux and Castor, the heads of the Twins, are 14 deg and 19 deg to Moon's upper right. Saturday, November 2 An hour before sunrise on Sunday, the Last Quarter Moon is high in SSE to S, midway between Procyon in SSW and Mars in SE, and 20 degrees from each. Regulus, heart of Leo, is within 3 deg to Mars' right. At sunrise the Moon is well up in SSW, 90 deg or one-quarter circle from the Sun. Note the Moon's left or east half is illuminated by the Sun. Sunday, November 3 An hour before sunup on Monday, Regulus is about 6 degrees left of the fat crescent Moon. Mars is just over 3 degrees to Regulus' lower left. Monday, November 4 On Tuesday an hour before sunrise, look high in SE above the waning crescent Moon for Mars and Regulus within 4 degrees apart. Regulus is upper right of Mars. Venus gleams in ESE about 32 deg to Moon's lower left. Spica, hidden behind Sun just three weeks ago, twinkles 16 deg below Venus. Arcturus glitters north of east 33 deg to left of Venus and Spica. These sights make it worth getting up early on Election Day! Tuesday, November 5 An hour before sunup on Wednesday, crescent Moon is well up in SE. Mars and Regulus, just over 4 deg apart, are within 20 deg to Moon's upper right, and Venus is about 20 deg to Moon's lower left. Look carefully for a 3rd-mag star Gamma in Virgo 1.2 deg to left of Venus. Observe daily to follow Venus' motion, 1.2 deg per day relative to this star. Wednesday, November 6 Look in ESE an hour before sunup on Thursday for brilliant Venus some 9 deg to lower left of crescent Moon. Spica is 13 deg below Venus. Orange Arcturus shines 32 deg left of Venus. If sky is dark enough, note 3rd-mag Gamma in Virgo 1.3 deg to Venus' upper left. Thursday, November 7 About 2-1/2 hours before sunup on Friday, look very low a little south of east for the rising crescent Moon with Venus within 2 or 3 degrees upper left. Follow them until just after sunrise as they drift an additional degree apart. Before sky gets too bright, notice Spica 12 degrees below Venus. [From Hawaii on Friday from two hours before sunup until just after sunup, Venus is 4 or 5 deg to Moon's upper left.] Friday, November 8 Face ESE an hour before sunup on Saturday. There you'll find the last easy old crescent Moon very low in sky about 14 deg lower left of brilliant Venus. Look for Spica 11 deg below Venus and 4 or 5 deg to Moon's upper right. Saturday, November 9 In the U.S. on Sunday morning, if sky is very clear, the best chance to see the old Moon will be from E Coast, about 17 hours before New. One hour before sunrise, note Spica 10 degrees below Venus, and Arcturus 30 deg to Venus' left. Beginning half an hour before sunrise, using binoculars, search for a hairline crescent within 2 deg above the horizon about 16 deg south of due east. The Moon will be about 26 deg lower left of Venus, 32 deg lower right of Arcturus, and 17 deg lower left of Spica. Along a line connecting the following locations, the short crescent will be ideally placed directly above the Sun: Myrtle Beach SC, 17 hours before New; Little Rock AR 16 hours before New. There will be little chance to see this old Moon from as far west as New Mexico 15 hours before New, or the Bay area of California 14 hours before New. Sunday, November 10 The Moon is New tonight at 11:16 p.m. EST. Who will be the first to see the hairline-thin crescent Moon early Monday evening, with optical aid? With unaided eye? From the west Coast of Africa, the Moon will be less than 15 hours old, but visible only with optical aid. From Venezuela the 18-hour Moon may be visible with unaided eye. From both those locations, the Moon will be ideally placed, directly about the Sun during twilight. Across the U.S. at civil twilight on Monday, when the Sun is 6 degrees below the horizon -- about 30 minutes after sunset from northern states, 25 minutes after sunset from Florida to southern California -- the Moon will be within a few degrees above WSW horizon, and binoculars are recommended. Viewers in northern states will be at a disadvantage, with the Moon only a degree or two above horizon. Observers from Florida to southern California and Hawaii, where the Moon will appear a few degrees higher, will have the best chance to see the Moon with unaided eye. More tomorrow. For information on the youngest Moon ever seen (last Jan. 20), see December 1996 Sky &Telescope, page 104. Monday, November 11 Between 15-30 minutes after sunset, use binoculars and try for the very thin crescent Moon just a few degrees up in WSW. You'll need very clear skies and an unobstructed view of the horizon. By then Jupiter should be visible in SSW, with the Moon about 45 degrees to its lower right. The Moon's age (elapsed time since New) for selected locations within the U.S. at civil twilight is: Boston 17.7 hours; Miami 18.7 hours; Seattle 20.9 hours; San Diego 21.0 hours; Hawaii about 24 hours. If you see the Moon this evening, send us a note with the details of your sighting: Your location, the sky conditions, instrument used, the times you first saw the Moon with optical aid and with naked eye, and a drawing of its appearance and orientation relative to the horizon. Send your report to: MOONWATCH, Abrams Planetarium, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824. Tuesday, November 12 Early this evening, the nearly 2-day-old Moon is very easy to see. Forty-five minutes after sunset, look for the slender crescent very low in SW to WSW. Another half-hour later, when twilight fades and the Moon is about to set, use binoculars to look for Comet Hale-Bopp about 21 degrees above the Moon. A line from Alpha to Beta Ophiuchi, 8 degrees long, extended 7 degrees to Beta's lower right, ends near the comet. See text above for tips on locating these stars and for more information about the comet. Wednesday, November 13 About 1-1/4 hours after sunset (nearly at nightfall), the Moon is low in SW with bright Jupiter 18 degrees to its upper left. Comet Hale-Bopp appears as a 5th-magnitude fuzzy spot visible in binoculars 17 degrees to Moon's upper right. Thursday, November 14 The two brightest objects in the evening sky are in SSW to SW at dusk: the Moon, with Jupiter within 6 degrees to its lower left. Friday, November 15 The Moon is in SSW at dusk, with Jupiter 11 degrees lower right. If skies are clear, MSU Observatory will be open for public viewing tonight and Saturday, 9 p.m. until 11 p.m., after the 8 p.m. showing of "From Stardust to Life: A Cosmic Journey" at Abrams Planetarium. Viewing will feature Saturn, with rings tipped only 3 degrees from edge-on. An hour before sunup on Saturday through Tuesday mornings, brilliant Venus is in ESE with the first-magnitude star Spica 4 degrees to its lower right. Can you detect day-to-day changes in their relative positions? Each day, Spica is higher, and Venus lower. Saturday, November 16 MSU Observatory tonight: See Friday, Nov. 15. In Sunday's predawn hours, watch for Leonid meteors. Increasing numbers of "shooting stars" should be seen in the 3-hour interval ending around dawn's first light. Leonid meteors are among the fastest known, entering Earth's atmosphere at a speed of 44 miles per second, or nearly 160,000 miles per hour. For more on this meteor shower, see the articles "The Leonids: Watching and Waiting" and "The Leonids' Last Hurrah?" in Sky & Telescope November 1996, pp. 72-74, or on SKY Online's Website at: http://www.skypub.com/meteors/meteors.html Sunday, November 17 As you face the setting Sun today, the Moon will be over your left shoulder, in SSE. The Moon is 90 degrees or one-quarter of a circle to east of the setting Sun, and is said to be at First Quarter phase. Note the apparent shape of the Moonis half full, with the west (right) half illuminated. For a few days around this date, as seen through a telescope or even binoculars, the Moon's craters and other surface features show spectacular detail. As the sky darkens tonight, Jupiter and Saturn are 75 degrees apart with the Moon about midway between them. Jupiter will overtake Saturn in spring of the year 2000; during that season the two planets will be seen within a few degrees of each other. Monday, November 18 At dawn's first light (1-1/2 hours before sunrise) on Tuesday, look low ESE to find brilliant Venus with Spica 4 degrees to right. Mars is high in SE, 11 degrees lower left of Regulus. This is a good week to start photographing the motion of Mars against the stars. Tuesday, November 19 Tonight at dusk the Moon is in SE with Saturn about 8 degrees to its lower left. Wednesday, November 20 Face SE at dusk to find the waxing gibbous Moon with Saturn about 6 degrees lower right. Thursday, November 21 The Moon is in ESE at dusk. Look for Saturn 20 degrees to its upper right. Friday, November 22 Tonight two hours after sunset, Moon is in ESE and Saturn is in SSE, some 35 degrees to Moon's upper right. Aldebaran is low in ENE to E, some 35 deg to Moon's lower left. So Moon tonight appears about midway between Saturn and Aldebaran. Look nightly at this same time, noting changes in Moon's position. Tonight a telescope shows Saturn's brightest moon, Titan, farthest east in its 16-day orbit around the planet. Look about 4 ring-lengths from the nearer end of the ring. Saturday, November 23 Two hours after sunset, the Pleiades (Seven Sisters) star cluster is 14 degrees to Moon's left. The reddish first-magnitude star Aldebaran, the "follower" (of the Pleiades), twinkles 14 deg below that cluster and 21 deg to Moon's lower left. Sunday, November 24 This evening the Frosty or Beaver Full Moon rises in ENE within a few minutes after the Sun sets in WSW. By two hours after sunset Aldebaran, eye of Taurus the Bull, is just 8 degrees to Moon's lower left, or even closer as seen from western U.S. By an hour before sunrise on Monday the Moon will creep about 5 degrees closer to star. They'll be low in the western sky then, with the star to Moon's upper left. Monday, November 25 By an hour after sunset, Moon has just risen in ENE. Aldebaran is just 4 degrees to Moon's upper right, or farther as seen from western states. By an hour before sunup on Tuesday, Moon will appear about 5 degrees farther from the star. Tuesday, November 26 Four hours after sunset, locate waning gibbous Moon in E. Betelgeuse, Orion's shoulder, is 11 deg to Moon's lower right. Rigel, Orion's foot, is 19 deg right of Betelgeuse. Midway between these stars, look for three stars in a vertical line -- the Hunter's belt! Wednesday, November 27 Four hours after sunset, Moon is in E to ENE, about midway between Betelgeuse in E and Pollux in ENE, 16-17 deg from each. Castor is 4- 1/2 deg above Pollux. Pollux and Castor mark the heads of the Gemini twins. Thursday, November 28 Five hours after sunset, Moon is in E, with Pollux 12 deg upper left, and Procyon, the Little Dog star, nearly as far to Moon's lower right. Friday, November 29 Five hours after sunset, the Moon is low, north of east, with Pollux and Castor, the Gemini twins, 17-21 degrees above. Procyon, whose name means "before the dog", is nearly due east, 15 deg to Moon's upper right. The Dog Star itself, Sirius, has already risen in ESE, 26 deg right of Procyon. Follow Orion's belt downward to Sirius. Saturday, November 30 An hour before sunup on Sunday, Moon is high in SW, two-thirds full. Regulus, heart of Leo, is 10 degrees to Moon's upper left. Mars is in south, 17 deg east (left) of Regulus. Sunday, December 1 On Monday an hour before sunup, Moon is high in SSW and just over half full. Regulus is within 5 degrees to Moon's upper right, and Mars about 15 degrees to Moon's left. Monday, December 2 An hour before sunrise on Tuesday, Moon is high in south and just under half full. Reddish Mars is 5 degrees to Moon's upper left. If you look before dawn brightens, note 4th-mag star Sigma in Leo about a degree to Mars' lower left. On Thursday morning Mars will pass within half a degree from Sigma. Look daily to follow Mars' motion, now just under half a degree per day. ********** end of Skywatcher's Diary for Nov 1996 **********