Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Nov 2, 2006 6:57:32 GMT -6
November 2006 Astro Calender
All times are UT (subtract 5 hours and, when appropriate, 1 calendar
day for EST)
11/1 Mercury (magnitude 1.4) is 3.2 degrees south-southwest of
Jupiter (magnitude -1.7) at 8:00; Uranus is 0.51 degree north of the
Moon at 8:00 - an occultation takes place in New Zealand and
southeastern Australia
11/2 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 354.6 degrees) at
6:56
11/3 A minimum lunar libration of 1.8 degrees occurs at 0:00; the
equation of time is at its maximum of 16.47 minutes (i.e., sundials
are ahead of clocks by some 16 minutes) for 2006 at 11:00
11/4 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 33'08" from a distance of
360,596 km, at 0:00
11/5 Full Moon, known as the Beaver or Frost (or Frosty) Moon and
this year's Harvest Moon, occurs at 12:58; the peak of the southern
Taurid meteor shower (5 to 10/hour) occurs at 16:00
11/6 The Moon is 0.67 degree north of the center of the bright open
cluster M45 (the Pleiades) in Taurus at 17:00
11/7 Mercury is 1.1 degrees south-southwest of Venus at 19:00
11/8 Mercury transits the Sun from 19:12 to 0:08 - the deepest point
of the transit occurs at 21:41; Mercury is in inferior conjunction at
22:00
11/9 Mercury is at the ascending node at 6:00; a maximum lunar
libration of 9.6 degrees occurs at 6:00; Neptune is at eastern
quadrature at 15:00
11/10 The Moon is 2.2 degrees south of the first magnitude star
Pollux at 14:00
11/11 Mercury is 0.58 degree north-northeast of Mars at 15:00; the
Moon is 2.2 degrees north-northeast of the bright open cluster M44
(the Beehive or Praesepe) in Cancer at 17:00
11/12 The northern Taurid meteor shower (5 to 10/hour) peaks at
15:00; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 17:45
11/13 Saturn is 1.5 degrees south-southwest of the Moon at 2:00; the
Moon is 1.6 degrees north-northeast of the first magnitude star
Regulus at 14:00; Mercury is at perihelion at 22:00
11/14 Asteroid 7 Iris (magnitude 6.8) reaches opposition at 12:00
11/15 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 173.7 degrees) at13:26; Venus is 0.43 degree south of Jupiter at 21:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'29" from a distance of 405,194 km, at 23:00
11/16 A minimum lunar libration of 1.4 degrees occurs at 6:00
11/17 Saturn is at western quadrature at 5:00; Mercury is stationary in right ascension at 19:00 - direct or prograde (eastward) motion resumes; the traditional peak of the Leonid meteor shower (10-20/hour) occurs at 21:00
11/18 The Moon is 0.55 degree southwest of the first magnitude star Spica at 2:00 - an occultation takes place in the southern portion of New Zealand and in eastern Africa
11/19 A brief outburst of Leonid meteors at a rate as high as
100/hour may occur beginning at 4:45
11/20 Mars is 4.3 degrees north-northeast of the Moon at 3:00; Uranus is stationary in right ascension at 11:00 - direct (eastward) motion resumes; New Moon (lunation 1038) occurs at 22:18
11/21 Venus is 4.9 degrees north-northwest of the Moon at 11:00; the
Moon is 0.42 degree south-southeast of the first magnitude star
Antares at 20:00; Jupiter is in conjunction with the Sun at 23:00
11/23 The Sun (ecliptic longitude 240.96 degrees) enters Scorpius at 10:00; Venus is at the descending node at 10:00; a maximum lunar libration of 8.3 degrees occurs at 23:00
11/24 Mercury is at its greatest latitude north of the ecliptic (7.0
degrees) at 3:00
11/25 Venus is 4.5 degrees north of Antares at 7:00; Mercury reaches greatest western elongation (19.9 degrees) at 13:00
11/26 Neptune is 2.7 degrees north-northwest of the Moon at 23:00
11/28 First Quarter Moon occurs at 6:29; Uranus is 0.36 degree east
of the Moon at 16:00 - an occultation takes place in the eastern part of southeast Asia, most of India, Madagascar, and South Africa
11/29 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 352.3 degrees) at 10:27
11/30 A minimum lunar libration of 2.0 degrees occurs at 3:00; the
Sun (ecliptic longitude 247.86 degrees) enters Ophiuchus, which is
not one of the classical constellations of the zodiac, at 5:00
Due to gravitational perturbations, the Leonid meteor stream probably won't produce another meteor storm until 2099. However, a short outburst of perhaps 100 or more meteors per hour may occur in Europe and Africa this year. Although the radiant is rather poorly placed at the predicted peak time of 11:45 p.m. EST on November 18, observers on the East Coast may still be able to catch some of the enhanced activity that may result from the Earth crossing through a debris trail left behind by Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle's 1932 passage.
The Moon reaches its greatest northern declination (+29 degrees) for the month on November 8 at its greatest southern declination (-28 degrees) for the month on November 23. Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month are available at
www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm
The planets on November 1: Mercury (1.2 magnitude, 9.1", 19%
illuminated, Libra), Venus (-3.9 magnitude, 9.7", 100% illuminated,
Scorpius), Mars (1.6 magnitude, 3.6", 100% illuminated, Libra),
Jupiter (-1.7 magnitude, 31.1", 100% illuminated, Libra), Saturn (0.5
magnitude, 17.6", 100% illuminated, Leo), Uranus (5.8 magnitude,
3.5", 100% illuminated, Aquarius), Neptune (7.9 magnitude, 2.2", 100% illuminated, Capricornus), and Pluto (14.0 magnitude, 0.1", 100% illuminated, Serpens Cauda).
November is an exciting time to view Mercury, since the planet
undergoes its best morning apparition of the year during the latter
part of the month and a rare transit of the Sun, one of only 13 to 14
per century, on November 8. Mercury will subtend 10 arc seconds at
the time and will therefore be only one-sixth the size that Venus was during its historic transit in 2004. First contact occurs at 2:12
p.m. EST. The transit has a duration of almost five hours but the Sun
sets for observers in the eastern United States soon after the 4:41
p.m. EST transit mid-point.
Venus is still too close to the Sun for easy visual observation this
month.
With optical aid, it may be possible to see a rather dim Mars
(magnitude 1.6) very low in the east-southeast shortly before sunrise at the end of November.
Jupiter is lost in the Sun's glare during November.
Since Saturn reaches a position 90 degrees west of the Sun this
month, its shadow falls directly on the planet's rings. The ringed
planet rises in the east-northeast around 11:00 p.m. EST. Titan
(magnitude 8.4) lies to the north of Saturn on the mornings of
November 1 and November 17 and to its south on the mornings of
November 9 and November 25. The positions of Saturn's five brightest satellites can be determined by browsing
skytonight.com/observing/obje.../3308506.html#
During November, Uranus is positioned less than one degree southwest of Lambda Aquarii (magnitude 3.7).
Neptune still lies half-way between Iota (magnitude 4.3) and 29
Capricorni (magnitude 5.3). Neptune's brightest satellite, Triton
(magnitude 13.6), can be seen through a 10-inch telescope during a
favorable elongation (see page 59 of the October issue of Sky &
Telescope).
As night falls this month, Pluto is too close to the western horizon
to observe.
Asteroid 7 Iris (magnitude 6.8) comes to a particularly favorable
opposition on November 14. It is closer to the Earth than it has been
for decades and won't be this bright again for another eleven years.
The asteroid glides to the west of M45 (the Pleiades) during the
course of the month.
During November, comet C/2006 M4 (SWAN) glides eastward through Hercules. By Thanksgiving, it will be close to the first magnitude star Altair in Aquila. This comet has a hyperbolic trajectory and will eventually escape our solar system. A finder chart appears at www.skyhound.com/sh/skyhound.html and on page 60 of the November issue of Sky & Telescope.
The periodic comet 4P/Faye tracks through Cetus to the east of Alpha Piscium. The ninth magnitude comet passes in front of bright field stars on the nights of November 11 and November 22. A short tail pointing to the northeast may be visible through a telescope from a sufficiently dark site.
Consult www.skyhound.com/sh/skyhound.html for a finder chart.