Monthly Night Sky Report: November 2023

         Introduction

    October was unusually warm for Utahns, allowing stargazers to comfortably enjoy the night sky further into the year than normal. I was able to capitalize on these temperatures by taking out my telescope numerous times and watching the Annular Eclipse. I also enjoyed a few hours of the Orionid Meteor Shower at a dark sky location. I am likely finished with my scope for the remainder of the year, but I plan to take the camera out a few more times.  

    November will offer observers the chance to view the Leonid Meteor Shower, which will peak shortly after the New Moon phase. Jupiter and Uranus will reach opposition this month, making it the best time to view these planets while they are opposite the Sun from our Earthbound perspective. Mercury will return to the evening sky, while Mars will remain too close to the Sun to view. 

             

Mercury

    Mercury makes its reappearance in the evening sky during November. The first half of the month might be challenging for observers to view the innermost planet due to its low altitude in the southwest. However, the fortunate observers with a clear view of this region of the sky will be able to see Mercury. As the month progresses, Mercury will climb higher in the sky, reaching nearly 20°  altitude on the 27th. On this date, the innermost planet will set about an hour after the Sun. A one-day-old Moon can be found floating just 5°  from Mercury on the 14th.   

  

Venus

    Venus will remain visible and an easy object to spot in the morning sky. It rises about four hours before the Sun and will shine brightly at -4.4 at the beginning of the month. A thin crescent Moon will join Venus in the sky on the 9th, about a week after crossing from Leo into Virgo. As Venus moves into the constellation Virgo, it will approach the bright star, Spica. On the 27th, the pair will be found just 5° apart and even closer by the end of the month. Much like the Moon, Venus has phases. A pair of binoculars or a larger instrument can reveal these phases to interested observers.

    

Mars

    Mars will continue to be lost from our Earthbound view through November. The red planet will reach conjunction with the Sun on the 18th. Mars will return to our skies in December.

Jupiter

Saturn

     

    The gas giants were a treat to view through a telescope during October. November will also offer stunning views of Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter reaches opposition on the 3rd, bringing this planet opposite the Sun and close to the Earth, only a mere 3.98 AU (approximately 370 million miles) distant. During this time, Jupiter will appear brighter to the unaided eye and slightly larger through a telescope, allowing more detail to be seen. Jupiter will start the month shining brightly at magnitude -2.76 but will dim slightly to -2.66 as this gas giant moves away from the Earth. A pair of binoculars will reveal the four Galilean Moons, while a telescope will allow observers to view the cloud bands, Great Red Spot, and the shadows of the Galilean Moons as they transit the planet. A nearly Full Moon will join Jupiter on the 25th, passing just 3° away. 

    While Saturn is not currently in opposition, further away from the Earth, and does not shine as brightly as Jupiter, the ringed planet is a favorite for many observers, myself included. Saturn can be seen in the southeast sky shortly after the brightness of the Sun fades after sunset. A few moons can be seen through a telescope, most notably Titan. The most exciting feature of Saturn, the rings, which draw in many observers, will also be visible through a pair of binoculars but are more apparent through a telescope of any size. The Earth's own Moon will pass close by Saturn on the 20th with only 3° separating the pair.   

   

       

Neptune

Uranus

    

    The two ice giants can be viewed through binoculars but will look their best through a telescope. Uranus will soar above the Rocky Mountains about an hour after Jupiter during November. Ten days after Jupiter has reached opposition, Uranus will also reach opposition. This occurs on the 13th, the same day as the New Moon phase, making this night a great time to view this distant planet. A nearly Full Moon will pass through the Pleiades, joining Uranus on the 26th with only 3° of separation. During any night of November, except for the 26th, observers should view the Pleiades in conjunction with Uranus. 

    Observers waiting to view Uranus and the Pleiades due to their low altitude and having already viewed Saturn and Jupiter should jump to Neptune. The most distant planet can be found in between Saturn and Jupiter along the ecliptic. The Moon, in the first quarter phase, will pass less than 2° below Neptune on the 21st, allowing observers to use the Moon as a guide to find this planet. Neptune is currently about 29 times the distance from the Sun as the Earth, causing it to glow dimly at magnitude 7.7. 

Meteor Shower

     November won't have as many events as October, but observers may still glimpse some meteors from the Leonid Meteor Shower. As the name suggests, the meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation of Leo the Lion, found rising above the eastern horizon shortly before midnight. This shower is active during most of November but peaks during the late hours of the 17th and early morning hours of the 18th. The Moon will be in a Waxing Crescent phase, sinking below the western horizon before 10:00 PM. Observers should expect around 10 meteors per hour on the peak date. For those willing to brave the cold, I suggest viewing the gas giants, Saturn and Jupiter, and while waiting for Venus to rise around 4:00 AM, view as many meteors as possible. Be sure to dress warm and bring a hot beverage!

 

Monthly Breakdown

  

November 03: Jupiter reaches opposition
November 05: Last Quarter Moon🌗
November 09: Moon passes within 1° of Venus
November 13: New Moon 🌑
November 13: Uranus reaches opposition
November 14: Moon passes within 1° of Antares
November 16: Mercury and Antares within 3°

November 17/18:  Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks 🌠

November 18: Mars and Sun conjunction  

November 20: First Quarter Moon 🌓

November 20: Moon passes within 3° of Saturn

November 22: Moon passes within 2° of Neptune

November 25: Moon passes within 3° of Jupiter

November 26: Moon passes within 3° of Uranus  

November 27: Full Moon 🌕

November 28: Venus and Spica within 4°

         

Now get outside and look up!

Planet images were taken by NASA.

Andrew vs. the Cosmos image was taken by Jeff Greenland.

The Milky Way and Trees image was taken by Andrew Greenland.

Orion, Taurus, and Pleiades image was taken by Andrew Greenland.

    

Midmonth Check-In: October 2023 and Mercury

    

Introduction and Monthly Reminders   

    The first few days of October started off rainy and cold over northern Utah. As we eased into the first week, the rain subsided, and the temperatures gradually warmed, leading to a clear and warm weekend for stargazers. The second week was expected to be the same, with the rain and clouds coming in at the end of the seven-day period. Unfortunately, for those in northern Utah, this was the case. Fortunately for those in parts of central and southern Utah, the clouds stayed away or were at least scattered enough for eclipse watchers to enjoy the eclipse. The group I was with was part of the fortunate observers, and we could view the entire eclipse. I was able to take some images with my phone through my binoculars, which will be shared at a later date.

         Observers will still have the chance to enjoy the Orionid Meteor Shower that peaks on the 21st. There will also be many conjunctions between the Moon and planets in our solar system, including Saturn on the 24th, Neptune on the 25th, and Jupiter and Uranus on the 29th. Venus will reach its greatest western elongation on the 23rd. Interested observers should enjoy the night sky and use their astronomy gear at least one last time this month before the cold and snow settle in.

    

Mercury

  

     The solar system tour will continue with Mercury, the smallest and closest planet to the Sun. In fact, Ganymede, the largest moon of Jupiter, and Titan, the largest moon orbiting Saturn, are larger than Mercury.  The Earth's own moon is only slightly smaller than this tiny planet. 

    Mercury formed about 4.6 billion years ago with the Sun and other planets in our solar system. Like Venus, Earth, and Mars, Mercury has an inner core, a mantle layer, and an outer crust. The core of Mercury is about 85% the diameter of the entire planet. For comparison, a nickel is about 87% the size of a quarter, so if a nickel is placed on a quarter, that's about the size of the inner core of Mercury. The core of this planet is metallic, believed to be partly molten or liquid. Mercury is the second densest planet in the solar system, the Earth being the most dense.    

    The surface of Mercury looks similar to that of the Moon, with thousands of impact craters covering its exterior. If a human were standing on the planet's surface, it would appear greyish-brown. Mercury can be found between 29 and 43 million miles from the Sun, depending on where the planet is in orbit. It completes one orbit of the Sun in only 88 Earth days. However, Mercury spins slowly about its axis and completes one revolution in 59 Earth days. The innermost planet was named Mercury after the swift Roman messenger god. Due to the Earth's position in the solar system, only Mercury and Venus can be seen passing in front of the Sun, known as a transit. The next transit of Mercury occurs on 13 November 2032. 

    Mercury experiences an extreme range of temperatures due to not having an atmosphere to hold onto the heat from the Sun at night. Daytime temperatures can reach approximately 800° F (430° C) and drop to -290° F (180° C) at night. Even with these hot temperatures, Mercury is not the hottest planet in the solar system. That title belongs to Venus. Due to these low temperatures, Mercury may contain water ice in areas that do not receive sunlight, such as deep craters or canyons.    

    Mercury is one of the most challenging planets to view from Earth because of its proximity to the Sun and its low albedo. The albedo of an object is the ability of it to reflect light. Mercury has an albedo of 0.12, while Venus, the brightest planet in the sky, has an albedo of 0.75. An observer typically has only 30 minutes before it sinks below the western horizon after sunset or about the same amount of time before the Sun's brightness overpowers the glow from this tiny planet. 

    There have only been three missions to Mercury. The first was Mariner 10, which was launched in 1973 by NASA. This spacecraft imaged nearly 50% of the surface of the planet. The first mission ended in March 1975 when contact with the Mariner 10 spacecraft was lost. The next mission, Messenger, also launched by NASA, came over 30 years later in 2004. Messenger was the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury. Messenger crashed into the surface of Mercury at the end of its mission in 2015. BepiColombo, the third mission to Mercury, launched in October 2018. This is an international mission with two spacecraft provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). These two crafts are scheduled to enter the orbit of Mercury in 2025. The ESA's mission is to study the planet's surface and interior, while JAXA's mission is to study the magnetic field. BepiColombo should give us new and exciting images and information about Mercury.  

    Check back at the beginning of November for my next Monthly Night Sky Report.   

    

 

    

Now get outside and look up!