AstroCal – November 2023

 

     November  will be a great month for those of you who like to see that bright gem of a planet Venus in the early morning hours.  On the morning of November 9, it will be particularly interesting as our ‘twin planet’ will have a very close encounter with the Last Crescent Moon before the last Lunar Cycle ends and the next one begins with a New Moon on November 13.

Venus and the Moon will be the closest when they rise in the East 3.8 hours before Sunrise but there will be a lot of darkness left to view them before the brightening dawn sky emerges.  Venus will be so bright (Mag – 4.4) it may also be visible in the daytime under the right conditions.

     With the Last Quarter Moon on Nov 5 and the previously mentioned New Moon on Nov 13, dark skies should aid those seeking Leonid Meteors when they peak in the pre-dawn of Nov 18.

A double observing challenge will happen on Nov 14 when a very Young Crescent Moon will appear just above the SW horizon, a little to the left of Mercury which will also be hugging the horizon 25 minutes after sunset.  The First Quarter Moon will take place on Nov 20 and the Full Moon will be visible on Nov 27.  

     The third brightest object in the night sky (besides the Full Moon and Venus) will be Jupiter shining at Mag -2.9.   Jupiter will start the month at opposition and be visible above the eastern horizon an hour after sunset.  By the end of the evening, it will be in the western sky some 132 degrees apart from Venus which will rise in the east an hour and a half before sunrise.   This pattern will continue throughout the month and by the end of November they will be 168 degrees apart.  Hovering in the East and West sky, both will appear 6 degrees above their respective horizons 3.1 hours after sunrise.  Can you predict the date in December when you will not be able to see them both in the sky simultaneously?  

     Saturn (Mag +0.7) will begin November 70 degrees away from Jupiter, a distance that will decrease to 66 degrees by Nov 30.  They will reach a minimum separation of 61 degrees on February 5, 2024 before the distance begins to increase again.  If you are into long term planning for your astronomical observations, Jupiter and Saturn will be 180 degrees apart on opposite sides of the sky five times in the period between 2029 and 2031.  The next conjunction of the two (a conjunction is when two bodies appear very close to each other) won’t happen until October 31, 2040.  

     We will spend less time discussing Mars, Mercury, Uranus, and Neptune this month.  Mars will not be visible as it is in conjunction with (and behind) the Sun on Nov 18.  Mercury is a respectable -0.5 magnitude but hugging the SW horizon this month.  Uranus is a good binocular target at mag +5.6.  Uranus can be located as it passes 2.3 degrees from Delta Ari, the brightest star (mag +4.6) between Jupiter and The Pleiades star cluster on Nov 9 and 10.  Look for it between W and WNW two hours before sunrise.  Neptune is only a mag +7.8 object and there are numerous steps to follow if one wants to get serious about finding it.  One can pursue finding Neptune by looking up the detailed instructions at abramsplanetarium.org/msta.

      Our historical moment in astronomy takes us back to the Great Meteor Storm of November 12-13, 1833.  A ‘meteor storm’ is defined as a shower with 1000 sightings or more per hour.  At the time of the 1833 Leonids meteor shower, astronomers were still trying to explain the exact mechanics of this long observed phenomenon.  Denison Olmstead (1791-1859), a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Yale University, compiled and published several descriptions from the 1833 storm as seen from Massachusetts to Georgia.  His comprehensive analysis led to a more solid scientific understanding of meteors and a broader understanding of their cosmic origins which continued to evolve over the ensuing decades..  

     The Leonids of 1833 also spurred much popular interest as they were witnessed by a large number of people.  With mental images of the biblical doom and final judgment connected to meteor lore, there was a widespread emotional reaction and lively debates about the ‘meaning’ behind this event.  Toss in the need for the popular press to find sensational copy to sell papers, a sort of competition developed between various areas of the country.  The town that counted the highest number of meteors in this celestial event became a point of cosmic civic pride.

     This month’s historical data was provided by guest author Pedro Raposo of Drexel University for the Historical Astronomy Division of the American Astronomical Society.

Compiled by Ken Raisanen of WOAS-FM – information provided by Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar, Michigan State University.  More information and subscription information can be found on their website at http://abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar/ or on X (formerly Twitter) at http://twitter.com/AbramsSkyNotes.  Yearly subscriptions cost $12 and can be started anytime.

 

Top Piece Video:  i like live music clips, but here is an artsy one by Architects called Meteor from 2021