Astronomy in November
The darker autumn nights are here now and if we are lucky enough to get clear skies it’s a great time of the year to make a flask, wrap up warm and spend some time outdoors, looking up. As well as a couple of meteor showers during November there is a penumbral lunar eclipse at the end of the month to look forward to.
05th-29th Nov Leonid meteor shower, maybe about 5 per hour.
12th Nov Taurid meteor shower maximum.
Mercury 1.7 degrees South of Moon
14th Nov Moon at perigee, closest to the Earth.
15th Nov New Moon (5.07)
17th Nov Leonid meteor shower maximum, maybe about 15 per hour.
19th Nov Jupiter 2.5 degrees North of Moon
Saturn 2.9 degrees North of Moon
25th Nov Mars 4.9 degrees North of Moon
27th Nov Moon at apogee, furthest from the Earth
30th Nov Full Moon (9.30)
Penumbral lunar eclipse, watch the Earth cast its shadow on the Moon.
Constellation of the Month
A prominent constellation in the autumn and winter skies is Orion, look south and it rises above the eastern horizon. In Greek mythology it represents the hunter Orion and has a distinctive asterism of stars representing his belt. It also contains two of the brightest stars in the sky Betelgeuse and Rigel.