Abrams Planetarium
SKYWATCHER'S DIARY: November 1997
To the reader
The Skywatcher's Diary for November 1997 has been prepared
by Robert C. Victor. Sometimes you can see next month's in advance by looking in our archives. 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 issue of Sky Calendar from a previous month is available
over the Internet. It can be viewed via a World-Wide Web browser such as
Netscape or Internet Explorer, directly at URL:
http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/apr97skycal.html
If you would like a printed sample of the November issue, 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 Internet
Explorer, 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
ftp://www.pa.msu.edu/pub/swd/
Planet Panorama at Dusk: Venus, of mag. -4.4 to -4.6, is brilliant evening
"star" low in SW to SSW at dusk. Mars, mag. +1.1, or 160- 200
times fainter than Venus, lingers nearby all month. It's 3 degrees upper
right of Venus on Nov. 1, 6 deg to Venus' lower right on Nov. 17, and nearly
7 deg to Venus' lower right Nov. 23-Dec. 1. Bright Jupiter gleams in Capricornus,
well up in southern sky at dusk; at mag. -2.4 to -2.2, it ranks next in
brightness after Venus. Jupiter is upper left of Venus, by 47 deg on Nov.
1, 24 deg on Nov. 30. Saturn at dusk gains altitude in E to ESE as month
progresses. This "star" of mag. +0.3 to +0.5 is in Pisces, about
60 deg E of Jupiter. Note these two giant planets can be found by extending
the diagonals of the Great Square of Pegasus, 16 deg SE to Saturn, and 44
to 42 deg SW to Jupiter. Late in month, use binoculars to find zero-magnitude
Mercury very low in SW twilight glow, far to Venus' lower right. Viewers
in S states are favored for seeing Mercury with unaided eye. Mercury-Venus
stay 23 deg apart Nov. 27-Dec. 5. Uranus is within easy reach of binoculars
at nightfall, when Moon is not too bright. Look 8-11 deg W of Jupiter and
just over 1 deg S of 6th-mag. Omicron Capricorni, lowest star in compact
triangle just below Alpha and Beta Capricorni. See the Uranus finder chart
on our Sky Calendar in box for Nov. 6-8.
The Moon passes bright evening planets on Nov. 3, 4, 7, and 11. On Nov.
11, Moon occults (covers) Saturn after sunset from S. Texas, Gulf Coast,
Southern and Southeast U.S., Mid-Atlantic Coast to Delmarva peninsula and
S. New Jersey, and Cape Cod. The northern limit of the occultation, where
Saturn appears to graze the Moon's north polar region, crosses the following
states: TX, LA, MS, AL, GA, NC, VA, MD, DE, NJ, MA. From places northwest
of that line, the Moon appears to pass south of Saturn, and quite narrowly
as seen from the cities of Austin TX, Jackson MS, Washington DC, Philadelphia,
New York City, and Boston. Binoculars may suffice to show Saturn during
a narrow miss, but a telescope is needed to see disappearance and reappearance
at edge of the bright nearly full Moon-- here are times of the occultation
for selected cities -- CST: Houston 5:35-5:50 pm; New Orleans 5:34-6:02
pm; Mobile 5:37-6:05 pm. EST: Miami 6:24-7:23 pm; Tampa 6:29-7:19 pm; Charleston
SC 6:45-7:23 pm; Charlotte NC 6:57-7:16 pm; Richmond VA 7:08-7:21 pm. For
map of N limit, see Jan '97 Sky & Telescope, p 90. More information:
http://www.sky.net/~robinson/iotandx.htm
Leonid meteors may arrive in greater numbers than usual this year on
the morning of Nov. 17, despite bright moonlight. Observers in western U.S.,
Alaska, and Hawaii are most likely to see the best display. For more information,
see Nov. 16 in the Diary below, Sky & Telescope Nov. 1995 pp. 24-34;
Nov. 1996 pp. 72-74; Nov. 1997 pp. 102-104; January 1967, pp. 4-10 (on the
meteor storm of Nov. 17, 1966); and the websites: http://www.skypub.com/meteors/meteors.shtml
http://medicine.wustl.edu/~kronkg/leonids.html http://www.skypub.com/meteors/leo97a.html
Skywatcher's Diary: November 1997
Saturday, November 1
- The young Moon is easy to see from mainland U.S. tonight, but folks
in northern states need to look early! Half an hour after sunset, the thin
crescent is very low in WSW, about 30 degrees lower right of Venus. As
sky darkens, note Mars 3 degrees to Venus' upper right, bright Jupiter
approaching its high point in south, and Saturn climbing in ESE.
Sunday, November 2
- The two brightest evening objects are low in SW at dusk: Moon with
Venus about 20 degrees to its left. Using binoculars, can you still see
Antares 9 degrees to Moon's lower left? Viewers in southern states should
see it easily. Look about 40 minutes after sunset.
Monday, November 3
- An hour after sunset, Moon is in SW, with brilliant Venus about 10
degrees to its lower left. Faint Mars is within 3-1/2 degrees upper right
of Venus.
Tuesday, November 4
- Low in SW about an hour after sunset, look 10 degrees below the crescent
Moon for brilliant Venus and faint Mars, still 4 degrees apart.
Wednesday, November 5
- This evening and Thursday, Venus stands near greatest elongation, 47
degrees from Sun. As seen from Earth, Venus now appears at its farthest
angular distance from the Sun during the planet's current reign as "evening
star." But Venus is now also farther south than it will be again until
November 2005, so it appears far to the left of the setting Sun instead
of high above it. Venus will take another month until it reaches its highest
position in the sunset sky, and will set some three hours after the Sun
in early December.
Thursday, November 6
- An hour after sunset, Venus gleams low in SW with Mars 4 degrees to
its left, while in the southern sky Jupiter shines 12 degrees left of the
fat crescent Moon.
For the rest of Venus' evening appearance, the planet will be fascinating
to watch through telescopes and binoculars. Observe Venus in daylight or
right around sunset, before the glare of the brilliant planet against the
darkening sky becomes too great. Watch for changes in Venus' phase until
it disappears in the second week of January. Venus now appears about half
full, and will become a large thin crescent as it approaches Earth and
swings almost in front of the Sun. As weeks pass, the crescent will become
large enough to resolve even with 7-power binoculars.
Friday, November 7
- Face the Sun as it is about to set in WSW, and you'll find the First
Quarter Moon in SSE, over your left shoulder, 90 degrees, or one- quarter
circle, from the Sun. Note Moon is half illuminated, with the terminator
(day-night boundary) appearing as a vertical line dividing the Moon's disk
into a lighted and a dark half. This is the ideal phase for using binoculars
or a small telescope to study lunar surface features. Even before the Sun
sets, try to spot Jupiter 3 or 4 degrees to Moon's lower right. It'll be
easy to see Jupiter as twilight deepens.
Saturday, November 8
- An hour after sunset, Jupiter is in south, within 17 degrees lower
right of the waxing gibbous Moon.
Sunday, November 9
- As darkness falls, binoculars and perhaps naked eye show the 4th- magnitude
star Theta in Capricornus one-third of a degrees (20 arc minutes) to Jupiter's
upper right. The same distance to Jupiter's east (upper left) tonight is
a 6th-mag. star, SAO164156. Jupiter's four bright moons are much closer
in, three on the same side as the latter star. The brightest one, appearing
farthest out tonight and easiest to see, is 5th- mag. Ganymede. Jupiter
is moving eastward by 7 arcminutes per day, and on Wednesday evening will
occult or cover the 6th-mag. star. For details, see IOTA's website at http://www.sky.net/~robinson/iotandx.htm
Monday, November 10
- At nightfall, the waxing gibbous Moon is in SE, three-quarters of the
way from Jupiter in S toward in ESE. Binoculars show Jupiter has closed
its distance from the 6th-mag. star to its upper left to 14 arcminutes
(less than one-quarter of a degree). Observe the planets nightly and watch
for changes.
Tuesday, November 11
- Seen from lower Michigan, the Moon creeps closely below Saturn shortly
after 7:15 p.m. EST. Using binoculars or a telescope, beginning around
sunset, observe every 15 minutes and watch the Moon's north polar regions
slip past the planet. From southern and eastern parts of the U.S., the
Moon actually occults or covers Saturn; see information above.
Other sights for binoculars this evening: Mars is now 5 degrees lower
right of Venus. The 3rd-mag. star Lambda, top of the Teapot of Sagittarius,
is 1.5 degrees upper right of Venus. Note stars 3rd-mag. Phi and 2nd-mag.
Sigma 4 degrees and 6 degrees upper left of Venus tonight. Venus is moving
nearly 1 degree per day, and will pass near these stars Nov. 15 and 17.
Look for a 6th-mag. star 7 arcminutes upper left of Jupiter. Two satellites,
Ganymede and Callisto, form a close pair 3 arcminutes to Jupiter's lower
right.
Wednesday, November 12
- The Moon is in E at dusk with Saturn about 14 degrees upper right.
See how far the Moon has moved in 24 hours! Three of Jupiter's moons are
within easy reach of binoculars tonight. To Jupiter's west (lower right)
are Ganymede and Callisto, and to the planet's east is Europa. Through
a telescope, Io becomes visible as it passes off the west edge of Jupiter's
disk at 6:00 p.m. EST, and Io's shadow is a tiny black dot on Jupiter until
7:19 p.m. A 6th-mag. star disappears behind Jupiter's east limb tonight
and reappears at the west limb over two hours later. Approximate times
of disappearance, to within a minute or two in each time zone are: 5:54
p.m. PST; 6:56 p.m. MST; 7:58 CST. From mid- lower Michigan the star disappears
around 8:59 p.m. EST, but there Jupiter is only about 20 degrees up in
SW. For more information, visit the IOTA website at http://www.sky.net/~robinson/iotandx.htm
Thursday, November 13
- If you have an unobstructed view toward WSW and ENE, try to view the
setting Sun and rising Moon simultaneously this evening. The Moon is nearly
Full. Starting Saturday morning, it will be possible to see Sun and Moon
simultaneously just after sunrise.
Friday, November 14
- The Moon passed Full this morning, and rises in ENE within 40 minutes
after sunset this evening as seen from lower Michigan. Two hours after
sunset, look 10 degrees upper left of the "Frosty Moon" for the
compact Pleiades star cluster, and a similar distance to Moon's lower left
for bright Aldebaran, the "follower" of the Pleiades. Watch the
Moon creep closer to Aldebaran until dawn on Saturday, when they're 5 degrees
apart.
Saturday, November 15
- An hour after sunset, brilliant Venus and dim Mars are still within
6 degrees apart low in SW. Binoculars show each planet has a 3rd-mag. "companion
star"; one is 0.4 degree below Venus, and the other is 1.5 degrees
to Mars' left. Look nightly and watch for changes. Within another half
hour, Moon rises in ENE. Can you spot Aldebaran 3 degrees to Moon's upper
right? For the rest of the night, Moon will pull away from the star. By
dawn on Sunday, they'll be over 8 degrees apart.
Sunday, November 16
- Tonight and Monday are the northernmost moonrises for November. >From
lower Michigan tonight, the Moon rises about 2-1/4 hours after sunset.
By four hours after sunset and for rest of night, Betelgeuse, shoulder
of Orion, is within 11 degrees south of Moon.
Bright moonlight reduces visibility of Monday morning's Leonid meteor
shower. But getting up to view the shower in Monday's predawn darkness
hours could still be worthwhile. That's because for the last few years,
the strength of this annual shower has increased with the approach of its
parent body, Comet Tempel-Tuttle. On Nov. 17 around 7:40 a.m. EST (5:40
a.m. MST, 4:40 a.m. PST, 2:40 a.m. Hawaii time), our planet Earth crosses
through the comet's orbital plane, only 108 days before the comet itself,
in its 33-year orbit, passes the same point a scant three-quarters of a
million miles closer to the Sun. As we cross the comet's orbit plane on
Nov. 17, it's sunrise from Michigan to Louisiana, while predawn darkness
prevails from Montana to Arizona and places farther west. If Earth encounters
the most meteoroids then, the shower will be seen best from western U.S.,
western Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii. But if the shower is strongest a few
hours earlier, then more of eastern U.S. could see the show. If and when
a very strong shower occurs, it is likely to last no more than an hour,
and would be seen wherever the Sickle of Leo is visible, where local time
is between midnight and dawn. Meteors could be seen anywhere in the sky,
but the radiant of the shower (direction from which the meteors approach
Earth) is within the Sickle, about 10 degrees north of the star Regulus.
Tempel-Tuttle itself is a minor comet, probably getting no brighter
than 8th magnitude when it passes within 34 million miles of Earth next
January. The real spectacle, a possible meteor storm, may come on November
17, 1998, when Earth encounters particles following the comet by 257 days,
or even a year later, in Nov. 1999. A Leonid storm with over 100,000 meteors
per hour was observed over western U.S. on November 17, 1966. For observers'
accounts, see the January 1967 issue of Sky & Telescope, pp. 4-10.
No one expects such large number of meteors this year. But just in case
something unusual happens, many amateur astronomers will be checking the
sky between midnight and dawn Monday morning. If you can't cover the whole
interval yourself, why not organize a cooperative effort where each observer
covers an hour, activating a phone tree to contact the others if something
spectacular unfolds?
For more on the Leonids, visit the websites listed just before the Diary
entry for Nov. 1.
Monday, November 17
- An hour after sunset, brilliant Venus and faint Mars are 6 degrees
apart low in SW. Binoculars show 3rd-magnitude Lamdbda Sagittarii within
1 degree below Mars, and 2nd-mag. Sigma within 0.3 degree upper left of
Venus.
Tuesday, November 18
- An hour before sunrise on Wednesday, the waning gibbous Moon is high
in SW, with Procyon, the Little Dog Star, 12 degrees lower left, and Pollux,
the brighter Gemini twin, 12 degrees upper right. The prominent object
26 degrees below Procyon is Sirius, the Dog Star, brightest star in the
night sky.
Wednesday, November 19
- Now that Moon rises in late evening (about 5 hours after sunset), there
are over 3 hours of dark-sky viewing after twilight fades. Enjoy the Milky
Way, Andromeda Galaxy, and other deep-sky objects. If your sky is too bright
to see the Milky Way and would like to find out what you can do, visit
the website of the International Dark-sky Association at: http://www.darksky.org/~ida/index.html
Thursday, November 20
- Venus-Jupiter are now 30 degrees apart in SW to S at dusk. In a month
they'll be 17 degrees apart. An hour before sunup Friday, the Moon, approaching
Last Quarter, is high in S, with Regulus, heart of Leo, 7 degrees left.
Note Moon's shape is just over half full.
Friday, November 21
- The Pleiades star cluster is at opposition to Sun tonight: Low in ENE
at dusk, high in S in middle of night, and low in WNW at dawn. Regulus
is high in S an hour before sunrise, about 6 degrees to Moon's upper right
on Saturday morning. Note Moon is a fat crescent, just under half full.
Saturday, November 22
- Although we're already two months into autumn, the Summer Triangle
can still be followed evenings until mid-January. An hour after sunset,
look for Vega, its brightest member, in the west more than halfway to overhead.
Deneb is just west of overhead, and Altair is halfway up in SW. Far outshining
these stars are Venus and Jupiter, nearly 30 degrees apart, to the Triangle's
lower left.
Sunday, November 23
- Have you seen Mercury yet in this apparition? Forty-five minutes after
sunset it's very low in SW, 25 degrees lower right of brilliant Venus.
Viewers in northern U.S. will need binoculars to spot Mercury in bright
twilight glow. Mars stays nearly 7 degrees to Venus' lower right through
Dec. 1, then will close to just over 1 degree from Venus by Dec. 21.
Monday, November 24
- If you look very low in SW 45 minutes after sunset, Mercury will gain
just a degree in altitude in the next week. Look for it 24 degrees lower
right of Venus. Mars 7 degrees to Venus' lower right, Jupiter in south,
and Saturn in ESE brings the total to all five bright planets visible simultaneously!
Tuesday, November 25
- An hour before sunrise on Wednesday, find the waning crescent Moon
in the SE with Spica 4 or 5 degrees to its lower right. There are no morning
planets up, but the brightest stars visible are Sirius low in SW, Arcturus
in east 28 degrees to Moon's upper left, Vega very low in NE, and Capella
in NW.
Wednesday, November 26
- An hour before sunrise, face SE to find the first-magnitude star Spica
13 degrees to upper right of crescent Moon. Note the beautiful earthshine
on the Moon's dark side.
Thursday, November 27
- An hour before sunrise on Friday, look for the very thin old crescent
very low in ESE.
Friday, November 28
- This evening Mercury reaches its greatest apparent distance from the
Sun this time around, 22 degrees. Forty-five minutes after sunset for another
week, look for Mercury very low in SW, 23 degrees lower right of Venus.
Binoculars help! For comparison, Jupiter is now 25 degrees to Venus' upper
left. Also tonight, Mars is nearly 7 degrees to Venus' lower right and
begins to close the gap between them until they're just over a degree apart
on Dec. 21. Saturn is in ESE to SE, 58 degrees from Jupiter.
Saturday, November 29
- Moon is New at 9:14 p.m. EST as it passes invisibly some 5 degrees
north of the Sun. In three months, on Feb. 26, the New Moon will pass directly
between Earth and Sun, resulting in a total solar eclipse visible from
the Caribbean.
Sunday, November 30
- Half an hour after sunset, locate Venus in SSW and use binoculars to
help spot the thin crescent Moon 35 degrees to its lower right and about
30 degrees south of due west. The young Moon is about 20 hours after New
from East Coast and 23 hours after New from West Coast. Calculate the Moon's
age (elapsed time since New) when you first spot it.
Monday,
December 1
- An easy way to find Mercury: Using binoculars 45 minutes after sunset,
look very low in SW, 6 degrees lower left of crescent Moon. Both are 23
degrees lower right of Venus.
Tuesday, December 2
- Face SW at dusk to find brilliant Venus about 11 degrees left of 3-day-
old crescent Moon. Mars is between them but lower, about 6-1/2 degrees
lower right of Venus. By Wednesday evening, Moon climbs above Venus, and
by Thursday, to right of Jupiter.
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