The night sky tonight and on any clear night offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects you can see, from stars and constellations to bright planets, often the moon, and sometimes special events like meteor showers. Observing the night sky can be done with no special equipment, although a sky map can be very useful, and a good beginner telescope or binoculars will enhance some experiences and bring some otherwise invisible objects into view. Below, find out what’s up in the night sky tonight (Planets Visible Now, Moon Phases, Observing Highlights This Month) plus other resources (Skywatching Terms, Night Sky Observing Tips and Further Reading).
Monthly skywatching information is provided to SPACE.com by Geoff Gaherty of Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu.
Editor's note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.
Moon Phases
Tue., November 6, 7:36 p.m. EST
Last Quarter Moon
The last or third quarter moon rises around 11:45 p.m. and sets around 1:15 p.m. It is most easily seen just after sunrise in the southern sky.
Tue., November 13, 5:08 p.m. EST
New Moon
The moon is not visible on the date of new moon because it is too close to the sun, but can be seen low in the east as a narrow crescent a morning or two before, just before sunrise. It is visible low in the west an evening or two after new moon.
Tue., November 20, 9:31 a.m. EST
First Quarter Moon
The first quarter moon rises around 1:00 p.m. and sets around 12:15 a.m. It dominates the evening sky
Wed., November 28, 9:46 a.m. EST
Full Moon
The full moon of November is called the beaver moon. In Algonquian it is called the “much white frost on grass” moon. Other names are frost moon, snow moon and hunter's moon. In Hindi it is known as kartik poornima. Its Sinhala (Buddhist) name is il. The full moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, the only night in the month when the moon is in the sky all night long. The rest of the month, the moon spends at least some time in the daytime sky.
Observing Highlights
Thu., November 1, 9 p.m.
Jupiter and the moon
The moon will pass just south of Jupiter soon after moonrise in the eastern sky.
Sun., November 11, 6 a.m.
Venus, Spica and the moon
About an hour before sunrise, The Moon joins the planet Venus and the bright star Spica in the morning sky.
Wed., November 14, morning
Total eclipse of the sun
The path of this eclipse crosses northern Queensland, Australia before heading out across the Pacific Ocean. It will be visible as a partial eclipse over all of Australia and New Zealand, as well as most of the southern Pacific Ocean and southwestern South America.
New Moon
The moon is not visible on the date of new moon because it is too close to the sun, but can be seen low in the east as a narrow crescent a morning or two before, just before sunrise. It is visible low in the west an evening or two after new moon.
Tue., November 20, 9:31 a.m. EST
First Quarter Moon
The first quarter moon rises around 1:00 p.m. and sets around 12:15 a.m. It dominates the evening sky
Wed., November 28, 9:46 a.m. EST
Full Moon
The full moon of November is called the beaver moon. In Algonquian it is called the “much white frost on grass” moon. Other names are frost moon, snow moon and hunter's moon. In Hindi it is known as kartik poornima. Its Sinhala (Buddhist) name is il. The full moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, the only night in the month when the moon is in the sky all night long. The rest of the month, the moon spends at least some time in the daytime sky.
Observing Highlights
Thu., November 1, 9 p.m.
Jupiter and the moon
The moon will pass just south of Jupiter soon after moonrise in the eastern sky.
Sun., November 11, 6 a.m.
Venus, Spica and the moon
About an hour before sunrise, The Moon joins the planet Venus and the bright star Spica in the morning sky.
Wed., November 14, morning
Total eclipse of the sun
The path of this eclipse crosses northern Queensland, Australia before heading out across the Pacific Ocean. It will be visible as a partial eclipse over all of Australia and New Zealand, as well as most of the southern Pacific Ocean and southwestern South America.
Sat., November 17, 3 a.m.
Leonid meteor shower peaks
The Leonid meteor shower has at times produced incredible storms of meteors. This year is not predicted to be anything out of the ordinary, but there’s always a chance of seeing a good number of meteors, especially this year since there will be no Moon in the sky after midnight when meteors are most frequent.
Tue., November 27, before sunrise
Venus and Saturn in conjunction
A close approach between Venus and Saturn provides a rare opportunity to see two planets in the same telescope field, as well as being a treat for the unaided eye. Venus will be far brighter than Saturn.
Wed., November 28, 9 p.m.
Jupiter and the moon
The moon will again pass just south of Jupiter soon after moonrise in the eastern sky.
Wed./Thu., November 28/29
Penumbral eclipse of the moon
This eclipse is best viewed in Asia, Australasia, and the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It will be at maximum near the middle of the night, on the night which begins on the 28th and ends on the 29th. The moon will only be passing through the Earth’s penumbral shadow (outer circle), so will only be slightly shaded at maximum eclipse; you will need to look closely to see the shading.
Leonid meteor shower peaks
The Leonid meteor shower has at times produced incredible storms of meteors. This year is not predicted to be anything out of the ordinary, but there’s always a chance of seeing a good number of meteors, especially this year since there will be no Moon in the sky after midnight when meteors are most frequent.
Tue., November 27, before sunrise
Venus and Saturn in conjunction
A close approach between Venus and Saturn provides a rare opportunity to see two planets in the same telescope field, as well as being a treat for the unaided eye. Venus will be far brighter than Saturn.
Wed., November 28, 9 p.m.
Jupiter and the moon
The moon will again pass just south of Jupiter soon after moonrise in the eastern sky.
Wed./Thu., November 28/29
Penumbral eclipse of the moon
This eclipse is best viewed in Asia, Australasia, and the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It will be at maximum near the middle of the night, on the night which begins on the 28th and ends on the 29th. The moon will only be passing through the Earth’s penumbral shadow (outer circle), so will only be slightly shaded at maximum eclipse; you will need to look closely to see the shading.
Planets
Mercury is too close to the sun all month to be observed.
Venus is still a morning “star,” shining brightly before sunrise. It spends most of the month in Virgo, crossing into Libra on November 27.
Mars has faded into the west moving behind the sun. It moves from Ophiuchus into Sagittarius on November 12.
Jupiter is now in Taurus, close to Aldebaran and the Hyades. It rises about an hour after sunset, and is visible the rest of the night.
Saturn reappears from behind the sun in the morning sky around the middle of the month, just in time for a spectacular conjunction with Venus on November 27.
Uranus is visible most of the night in Pisces. It sets around 3 a.m.
Neptune remains in the depths of Aquarius all month, and sets around midnight.
SKYWATCHING TERMS
Asterism: A noteworthy or striking pattern of stars within a larger constellation.
Degrees (measuring the sky): The sky is 360 degrees all the way around, which means roughly 180 degrees from horizon to horizon. It’s easy to measure distances between objects: Your fist on an outstretched arm covers about 10 degrees of sky.
Visual Magnitude: This is the astronomer’s scale for measuring the brightness of objects in the sky. The dimmest object visible in the night sky under perfectly dark conditions is about magnitude 6.5. Brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. The brightest objects get negative numbers. Venus can be as bright as magnitude minus 4.9. The full moon is minus 12.7 and the sun is minus 26.8.
Terminator: The boundary on the moon between sunlight and shadow.
Zenith: The point in the sky directly overhead.
NIGHT SKY OBSERVING TIPS
Adjust to the dark: If you wish to observe faint objects, such as meteors or dim stars, give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness.
Light Pollution: Even from a big city, one can see the moon, a handful of bright stars and sometimes the brightest planets. But to fully enjoy the heavens — especially a meteor shower, the constellations, or to see the amazing swath across the sky that represents our view toward the center of the Milky Way Galaxy — rural areas are best for night sky viewing. If you’re stuck in a city or suburban area, a building can be used to block ambient light (or moonlight) to help reveal fainter objects. If you’re in the suburbs, simply turning off outdoor lights can help.
Prepare for skywatching: If you plan to be out for more than a few minutes, and it’s not a warm summer evening, dress warmer than you think necessary. An hour of observing a winter meteor shower can chill you to the bone. A blanket or lounge chair will prove much more comfortable than standing or sitting in a chair and craning your neck to see overhead.
Daytime skywatching: When Venus is visible (that is, not in front of or behind the sun) it can often be spotted during the day. But you’ll need to know where to look. A sky map is helpful. When the sun has large sunspots, they can be seen without a telescope. However, it’s unsafe to look at the sun without protective eyewear.
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Mercury is too close to the sun all month to be observed.
Venus is still a morning “star,” shining brightly before sunrise. It spends most of the month in Virgo, crossing into Libra on November 27.
Mars has faded into the west moving behind the sun. It moves from Ophiuchus into Sagittarius on November 12.
Jupiter is now in Taurus, close to Aldebaran and the Hyades. It rises about an hour after sunset, and is visible the rest of the night.
Saturn reappears from behind the sun in the morning sky around the middle of the month, just in time for a spectacular conjunction with Venus on November 27.
Uranus is visible most of the night in Pisces. It sets around 3 a.m.
Neptune remains in the depths of Aquarius all month, and sets around midnight.
SKYWATCHING TERMS
Asterism: A noteworthy or striking pattern of stars within a larger constellation.
Degrees (measuring the sky): The sky is 360 degrees all the way around, which means roughly 180 degrees from horizon to horizon. It’s easy to measure distances between objects: Your fist on an outstretched arm covers about 10 degrees of sky.
Visual Magnitude: This is the astronomer’s scale for measuring the brightness of objects in the sky. The dimmest object visible in the night sky under perfectly dark conditions is about magnitude 6.5. Brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. The brightest objects get negative numbers. Venus can be as bright as magnitude minus 4.9. The full moon is minus 12.7 and the sun is minus 26.8.
Terminator: The boundary on the moon between sunlight and shadow.
Zenith: The point in the sky directly overhead.
NIGHT SKY OBSERVING TIPS
Adjust to the dark: If you wish to observe faint objects, such as meteors or dim stars, give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness.
Light Pollution: Even from a big city, one can see the moon, a handful of bright stars and sometimes the brightest planets. But to fully enjoy the heavens — especially a meteor shower, the constellations, or to see the amazing swath across the sky that represents our view toward the center of the Milky Way Galaxy — rural areas are best for night sky viewing. If you’re stuck in a city or suburban area, a building can be used to block ambient light (or moonlight) to help reveal fainter objects. If you’re in the suburbs, simply turning off outdoor lights can help.
Prepare for skywatching: If you plan to be out for more than a few minutes, and it’s not a warm summer evening, dress warmer than you think necessary. An hour of observing a winter meteor shower can chill you to the bone. A blanket or lounge chair will prove much more comfortable than standing or sitting in a chair and craning your neck to see overhead.
Daytime skywatching: When Venus is visible (that is, not in front of or behind the sun) it can often be spotted during the day. But you’ll need to know where to look. A sky map is helpful. When the sun has large sunspots, they can be seen without a telescope. However, it’s unsafe to look at the sun without protective eyewear.
by:
http://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html
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