Cosmic Lure: October 2021

October in Utah experienced much cooler weather and a wet end to the month. We were able to enjoy a few clear nights however. I was able to have one final night out during the last week of the month and captured a few decent images which will be shared in my next post.

November will continue to cool down with Utah likely seeing the first major snowstorm of the season. The 11th month will bring the return of the Leonid Meteor Shower which is joined by a nearly Full Moon this year. Observers can also watch Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter, which will stretch across over 30° of the ecliptic by the end of the month. This would be a great opportunity for astrophotographers. Perhaps the biggest highlight this month for many will be the partial lunar eclipse. Read on for more details about the eclipse and other highlights for the month.

Mercury

Mercury can be found in the morning sky shortly before sunrise. It will begin the month shining at a magnitude of approximately -0.8. This tiny world will brighten but also fall closer to the Sun throughout the month. By the 28th, Mercury will be in superior conjunction with the Sun causing it to be lost from view.

Venus

Venus will be hard to miss this month as it continues to dominate the evening sky. The first evening of the month, our sister planet can be found with the Milky Way band behind it, creating a cool astrophotography opportunity. Between the 4th and the 7th, Venus can be found close to the Lagoon Nebula which will create another cool astrophotography moment. The 14% lit Moon will join the pair on the 7th. By the 10th or so, Venus will have moved to the left of the Milky Way band, closer to Saturn and Jupiter. Our closest neighboring planet will continue its trek towards the gas giants throughout the month.

Mars

Mars will continue to be lost from view until December, when it returns to the morning sky.

Jupiter

Saturn

The two gas giants will form a trio with Venus. These three planets will be bright and easy to spot after sunset during November. On the first night of the month, the two gas giants will be visible until midnight. Due to daylight savings time, the two planets will set 3 hours earlier (instead of 2 hours earlier) by the end of the month. At this time, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus will form a line in the sky, creating a nice astrophotography opportunity.

Jupiter will offer some great views to anyone with a telescope. The cloud bands can easily be seen as can the Great Red Spot. Jupiter completes one revolution on its axis every 10 hours meaning that a different part of its "surface" can be seen during this time. Binoculars will reveal the four Galilean Moons while a telescope can show the shadows of one of these moons on the cloud tops of Jupiter. The 56% lit Moon will be close to Jupiter on the 11th this month.

Saturn won't shine as brilliantly as Jupiter and Venus, but will be bright enough to easily spot. If you have trouble, it's the brightest "star" sandwiched between Venus (close to the horizon) and Jupiter (almost directly south). Saturn will offer magnificent views of its rings with a telescope. The larger the telescope, the better the view! Titan, the largest moon of Saturn should be easy to spot, but with a larger telescope, an observer should also be able to pick out a few of the other moons, such as Rhea, Tethys, and Dione. Saturn will be joined by Earth's own Moon on the 10th, which will be 45% lit.

Neptune

Uranus

The outer two planets are best viewed through a telescope but can still be seen through a pair of binoculars. Uranus will be visible all night, every night this month as it will reach opposition on the 4th. This ice giant will be joined by the nearly Full Moon (99% lit) on the 17th this month.

Neptune continue to trail behind Jupiter but ahead of Uranus this month. This most distant planet will be joined by 76% lit Moon on the 13th.

Meteor Shower

The Leonid Meteor Shower will peak this month on the morning of the 17th. Unfortunately, there is a Full Moon on the 19th, so only the brightest meteors will be able to be seen on this peak date. If you are able to get away from city lights the week before, say around the 10th, you should have a higher chance of seeing some of these meteors. This shower will appear to radiate from Leo the Lion, which begins to peek above the mountains around midnight on the 17th and will be high in the southern sky around 4 in the morning, making this the best time to view the meteors.

Spot Me....🕵️

I've had you try to spot quite a few different objects in the night sky, most of which require a telescope. As the temperature continues to drop during November, I encourage you to view some easy targets again this month. While the early evening after sunset is still bearable, take out your binoculars, telescope, or just your unaided eyes to view Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. These three are easy enough to spot, so I won't bore you with how to locate these objects. However, I will provide a few sample images of what you might see!

Below is an image of what the night sky may look like just after sunset around the middle of the month. The brightest object near the bottom of the image is Venus. Moving towards the upper left, the next bright "star" will be Saturn, followed by brighter Jupiter.

Looking South-Southwest after sunset on the 15th.

Begin your evening viewing Venus. It is the brightest of the trio and is also the closest to the western horizon, meaning it will be the first to set. A telescope will show the phase of our sister planet. Below is an image of what Venus will look like midmonth.

Venus on the 15th of November.

Notice how it looks just like the Moon! I promise, it is not. We see "phases" of Venus because it lies closer to the Sun than the Earth, meaning that we can never truly see a "full Venus" like we can see a Full Moon.

Next, point your binoculars, telescope, or your unaided eye towards Saturn. A pair of binoculars will allow an observer to view Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, while a telescope will additionally reveal its rings and a few more moons. Below is an image of what Saturn, Titan, and a few other moons may look like through a telescope.

Saturn on the 15th of November.

The largest moon (lower right) is Titan. The furthest moon to the left is Rhea. The upper moon of the two that are close together is Dione, followed by Tethys. As the caption below the image says, this is the night of the 15th. These moons will be in different positions on a different night.

Finally, adjust your gaze to Jupiter, the king of the planets. The Galilean Moons change position hourly as do the cloud tops of Jupiter. Below is an image of what Jupiter will look like on the 15th through a telescope.

Jupiter on the 15h of November.

The moon right next to Jupiter is Europa. Moving toward the upper left, the next moon is Io, followed by Ganymede, and then Callisto at the upper left. Be sure to check back often to see a different view of this planet and its moons!

If time and weather allow, don't hesitate to view some of the other wonders of the night sky! Remember go back to some of my past posts if you need help finding specific targets or just scan the sky to find something new!

These images were provided by Stellarium.

Monthly Breakdown

November 03: Moon passes within 2° of Mercury

November 04: New Moon 🌑

November 04: Uranus reaches opposition

November 07: Moon passes within 2° of Venus

November 10: Moon passes within 4° of Saturn

November 11: First Quarter Moon 🌓

November 11: Moon passes within 4° of Jupiter

November 13: Moon passes within 4° of Neptune

November 17: Leonid Meteor Shower peaks

November 17: Moon passes within 2° of Uranus

November 19: Full Moon 🌕

November 27: Last Quarter Moon 🌗

Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts. You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.

Now get outside and look up!

Planet images taken by NASA.

Andrew vs. the Cosmos taken by Jeff Greenland.

Introduction and Monthly Reminders

The first couple of days in October were great for stargazing! I was able to capture a few images that I will share at the end of this post, as well as a reader submitted picture. The clear skies and warm weather quickly retreated going into the first full week of the month and continues to do so. Watching the weather, it appears that the third week of the month might be a good time to get the last of your stargazing in before the cold weather sets in.

The biggest thing to look forward to this month, in my opinion, is the Orionids meteor shower. It will peak on the 21st, but will be lackluster due to the Full Moon occurring on the 20th. Remember to get away from as much light pollution as possible so that you can see the maximum number of meteors that the Moon will allow us to view. On the 16th, Venus and Antares will be within 2°. This will offer a nice contrast with the red of Antares and the brilliant white of Venus. Mercury will reach its greatest western elongation on the 25th, meaning it should be easier to spot before sunrise.

Think About This....💡

The topic this month goes along with astrophotography which I touched on last month. There are different points of time after sunset and before sunrise which are referred to as "magic hours." These come in a few different kinds such as "golden hour" and "blue hour." There are also different types of twilight, like "civil twilight" and "astronomical twilight" which coincide with the magic hours. After sunset and just before sunrise, the sky is illuminated by the Sun but the Sun is still below the horizon. This is known as twilight. Civil twilight is when there is enough natural light that artificial light is not needed. Only the brightest astronomical targets will be visible, such as Venus and Jupiter. The Sun will be between 0° and 6° below the horizon at this time. This is also known as the golden hour because of the gold color of the sky. During the golden hour and Civil twilight, portrait, city, landscape, Moon, and backlight portrait photography are the best.

Nautical twilight begins when the Sun is between 6° and 12° below the horizon. At this time, the brightest stars can be seen. Nautical twilight gets its name from when sailors used the brightest stars at night to find the direction they needed to sail. The horizon is still visible during nautical twilight. This form of twilight is also called the blue hour. During this time, landscape, portrait, Moon, and city photography is suggested. This is also a great time to start long exposure photography.

Finally, we have astronomical twilight. This is when the Sun is between 12° and 18° below the horizon. The glow of the Sun still lingers but most celestial objects can be seen. This is the time for longer exposure photography, the Milky Way band photography, northern light observation, and other night sky observation. The times for each different twilight and magic hours varies depending on your location and the time of year. There are several apps you can get for your phone or tablet that can let you know the time for each of these.

Below, you will find a few of my latest pictures as well as one submitted by my niece. Enjoy!