Title: November Skywatch Highlights
Location: Hawaiian Islands
Date / Time: November 2008
Comments: Shortly after sunset, it's hard to miss VENUS, gleaming brilliantly in the southwest, the brightest object in the night sky, other than the Moon. At the same time, look for JUPITER, the second brightest object, high in the southwest, to the upper left of Venus. Jupiter appears among the stars of eastern Sagittarius, near the handle of the "teapot" asterism. In early November, Venus & Jupiter will appear approx. 30 degrees apart, (Venus the brighter & lower of the two). Watch as the two planets seem to move closer to each other, narrowing the gap between them by about 1 degree each night. On Nov. 30th, Venus & Jupiter will "meet" for a "conjunction." Just after sunset, Venus appears only 2 degrees south of Jupiter, with a lovely crescent Moon just below the pair. Catch this trio before it sets, at around 8:15 PM. SATURN, will be rising in the east by 3:00 AM in early November, & by 1:15 AM at month's end. Saturn appears to be dimming, as the angle of its rings to our line of sight is steadily decreasing. The rings typically reflect more light than the planet's disk, & since we are approaching a time when the rings will appear edge-on as viewed from Earth, the entire planet seems to fade. Saturn currently appears in the southern part of the constellation Leo, slightly brighter than Regulus, the star which is the "heart" of the Lion. MERCURY is visible in the morning sky for the first few days of November, rising in the east at 5:45AM. The tiny innermost planet stands 4 degrees to the left of Spica, and clearly outshines this brightest star in Virgo. On Nov. 2nd, you'll have about 45 minutes to view Mercury before the rising Sun begins to lighten the sky. However, the planet rises later each day and, by Nov. 5th, will be lost in the glare of the rising Sun. MARS is traveling behind the Sun this month, & will not reappear (in our morning sky) until the end of 2008. Bid farewell to Scorpius & other Summer constellations, & welcome the stars of Winter. As the giant Scorpion (Maui's Fishhook) sets with the Sun, look overhead & use a skymap to locate & view the Great Square of Pegasus, Andromeda & Cassiopeia (to the North). The Summer Triangle stars & constellations are still viewable until the end of the month (Vega in Lyra the Harp, Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, & Altair in Aquilla the Eagle). Taurus the Bull, with the Pleiades (7-Sisters) on his back, is up by 8PM, and Orion the Hunter is viewable, rising in the East by 9PM. For further details & a November sky map, visit Bishop Museum Planetarium www.bishopmuseum.org/planetarium (bishopmuseum.org).

Maintained by Roz Reiner - Kauai, Hawaii

 

>> Email Roz <<