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Monday, November 30, 2009 The nearly full Moon is to the west of the Pleiades in the evening sky. As the night progresses, the Moon moves closer to the star cluster. Tomorrow evening, the Moon will be east of the cluster. Observers in Hawaii may see some of the stars of the Pleiades occulted by the Moon.
Sunday, November 29, 2009 The red planet Mars is 13° west of the star Regulus. Mars rises about 5 hours after sunset and is high in the SSW by morning twilight. Mars will continue to move towards Regulus until it starts its retrograde motion on December 21.
Saturday, November 28, 2009 The gibbous Moon is in the ESE sky at dusk. Aim a telescope at the Moon and look for the crater Aristarchus. Aristarchus is a very bright crater in the Ocean of Storms. Aristarchus is one of the youngest formation on the Moon, only 450 million years old.
Friday, November 27, 2009 Venus rises 30° to the lower left of the star Spica. Look for Venus very low in the ESE 45 minutes before sunrise. How many more days can you find Venus in the morning twilight? Venus is only 11° west of the Sun. The bright planet moves behind the Sun on January 11th, 2010 and returns to the evening sky in late February 2010.
Thursday, November 26, 2009 Mars and Saturn are 46° apart in the morning sky. At dawn, Mars is high in the southwest while Saturn is about half way up in the southeast.
Thursday, November 26, 2009 Mars and Saturn are 46° apart in the morning sky. At dawn, Mars is high in the southwest while Saturn is about half way up in the southeast.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 Jupiter's moon Io passes in front of the moon Europa at 6:49 p.m. EST. For observers in the eastern part of the U.S., the sky will be dark and Jupiter will be in the SSW sky. Use a telescope to see the moons of Jupiter.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 The First Quarter Moon is to the upper left of Jupiter. Look at the Moon with a telescope and look for the Alpine Valley. Alpine Valley is an 80 mile long cut through the lunar Alps. The valley is about 6 miles wide.
Monday, November 23, 2009 A wide crescent Moon is above Jupiter. Look for Jupiter and the Moon in the south at dusk. Aim a telescope at Jupiter to see its 4 Galilean moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
Sunday, November 22, 2009 Mars is 15° west of the star Regulus. Mars rises about 5 hours after sunset and is high in the SSW by morning twilight. Mars will continue to move towards Regulus until it starts its retrograde motion on December 21.
Saturday, November 21, 2009 Venus and Saturn are 45° apart. Look for Venus very low in the ESE, 45 minutes before sunrise. Saturn is to the upper right of Venus. Saturn's rings are tilted 4° from edgewise.
Friday, November 20, 2009 The four day old crescent Moon is in the southwest at dusk. A crescent Moon makes a wonderful sight in a small telescope. Explore the Moon near the terminator. The terminator is the line that separates the light and dark halves of the Moon. Near the terminator, many craters and mountains can be found.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 The crescent Moon is low in the southwest. As the sky darkens, look for "the old Moon in the young moon's arms" also known as earthshine. Earthshine is the faint light illuminating the dark side of the Moon. It is caused by sunlight reflecting off the Earth, onto the Moon, and back to the Earth.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 The young crescent Moon is low in the southwest, 45 minutes after sunset. The Moon is less than 5% illuminated. You will need a clear view to the horizon. Binoculars may help.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 The Leonid meteor shower may have an large outburst in the predawn hours. Leonids seem to radiate from the constellation of Leo the Lion, but the shooting stars can be seen in all directions. Mars is 16° to the west of the star Regulus in Leo.
Monday, November 16, 2009 The Leonid meteor shower may have an outburst in the predawn hours of the 17th. Watch for Leonids this evening and into the next morning. The Leonid shower varies quite a bit from one year to the next. This year could have a peak of 500 meteors per hour. The Moon is New, leaving the sky darker, better for meteor watching.
Sunday, November 15, 2009 Mira, the long term variable star, is near its peak brightness. Mira, also known as Omicron Ceti, is part of the constellation Cetus the Whale. At its brightest, Mira is a 3rd magnitude star. As its dimmest, it's about 9th magnitude. The star takes 332 days to cycle through one period. In September of 2009, observers reported Mira at 9th magnitude, visible only with a telescope. Now reports show it at 3.3 magnitude, easily visible with the unaided eye. Look for Mira low in the ESE at dusk and half way up in the south six hours after sunset.