What’s Up Above? November Stargazing

As November continues the transition between seasons, it brings with it experiences and moments when bounty and baron are equally placed before us. It reminds me of Taoist belief system represented in the yin-yang symbol. The symbol represents the idea that life and nature is made up of opposing, yet complementary forces. November is a yin and yang month for stargazing in the northern hemisphere. Daylight Saving Time concludes November 2nd so the sun now sets around 5:00pm. That gives us additional time (and darkness) for stargazing. The spectacular winter constellations begin to rise in the east at a more reasonable hour for observing. Yippee! That’s great yin! Now the yang. The act of stargazing, (being outside) is a burr, cold. Is having your finger, nose, and toes react with annoyance worth it? Without a doubt, the answer is “Yes!” Go ahead and put on a sweater, heavier coat and hat, and maybe gloves too, then step outside, and look up. You’ll be amazed. There are four meteor showers this month; Jupiter begins retrograde and Saturn ends retrograde. The Pleiades rise! (I’ve missed those spry sashaying and swaying Seven Sisters.) And the rings of Saturn return! That’s a few of the celestial events this month that begin with the letter “R.”

It’s a full feast of celestial yins for your post-Thanksgiving nocturnal walk with family and friends. Yea, you better bundle up; it’s that yang thing again. Yet, I ask you, do you need any other motivation to layer up, step outside, and look up to the heavens this November? I think not. Read on, and learn more.

Did I mention there are four meteor showers this month?

The Return of the Rings: Saturn Shows Why It’s Special

Saturn has been tipping its hat at Earth for quite some time now. The full tip of the hat, the tilt of the rings, reached its maximum of about 27 degrees down seven years past. Slowly, since then Saturn’s ring has in elegant slow motion risen from that deep tile to an “edge on” view creating the illusion they disappeared. This is due to the ring plane and the Earth’s line-of-sight lined up almost perfectly. We’ve experienced this perceived loss of the rings since March. Now, in November the ring plane as viewed from Earth rises about Saturn’s equator revealing the underside of the rings, and Saturn’s smiling face.

Why does this happen, you ask? A couple of reasons why it does. To begin, Saturn's axis tilt is similar to Earth’s axis tilt, with a difference by about 3 degrees. Then, since it takes Saturn approximately 29.5 years to complete one orbit of the Sun we (Earth) view the rings from different angles; edge on, tipping up, edge on, tipping down throughout its orbit.

It is as if we’re witnessing the end of a theatrical performance. Saturn completes its graceful bow to Earth and now the rings rise up again. A tip of the hat, a gaze renewed, a beginning of a grand orbit. We stand. We clap. We shout “Encore! Encore!”  Indeed, Saturn delivers. Get your binoculars out and enjoy the rest of the show.

Northern Taurid Meteor Shower: Peak November 12^th

The Northern Taurids Meteor Shower is a can’t-miss celestial event this year. I make this proclamation for three reasons. First, the meteor shower is visible from sunset to sunrise (you can see the shower early in the night); second, this year the shower peaks one week after the Full Moon, and third, the shower’s radiant point is easy to find in the night sky. That’s a lot of yin! Look at the image above, and note the position of Pleiades, and the position of the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. The star of Aldebaran.      

The Northern Taurids’ shower is the result of tiny grains or bits of dust trailing behind Comet Encke, hitting, skipping, or skimming across and off the Earth’s atmosphere.

To find the radiant point of the meteor shower, look towards the eastern horizon after 7:30pm local time. You are looking for the brightest star in the east, close to the horizon, which is Aldebaran. Extend your arm, clench your fist, and put your pinky next to Aldebaran and then turn your wrist up 90-degrees, so your thumb is straight up. Here is where the majority of the meteors radiate from. Remember, this area moves across the sky throughout the night. The best time to look is at midnight when the radiant point is highest in the sky. You can anticipate seeing on average 5 meteors per hour. The Moon is 7-days past full and will interfere with viewing the fainter meteors later in the evening. While the best time to view the shower is near midnight, the moonlight this year requires you to look for the meteors earlier in the evening before midnight,

Jupiter and Saturn At Opposite Ends of Retrograde: November 11^th and 27^th

When a planet enters retrograde it means that from our point-of-view here on Earth, when we look at the planet it appears that it is drifting backwards against the background stars. Since the Earth is closer to the Sun then both Saturn and Jupiter, its revolution around the Sun is faster than both gas giants. So every now and then the Earth’s orbit catches up to the outer planets’ orbit as everyone moves in their orbit from the west to the east in the night sky. You experience retrograde whenever you are in a car as it passes on the left a slightly slower car driving in the right lane.

Consider three phases to the retrograde motion as viewed from Earth, towards the outer planets in this case. As the Earth catches up with the outer planet, its eastward movement slows down to a crawl. At the full retrograde phase the outer planet appears to reverse gears and move backwards night after night. Finally, the U-turn.  The planet drifts backwards, slowing to a crawl, then stops again, then resumes its motion eastward. Jupiter and Saturn’s retrograde period is roughly 4 – 5 months.

So what makes this month’s retrograde of Jupiter and Saturn news worthy? This November 11^th Jupiter begins its retrograde motion, and on the 27^th, Saturn ends its retrograde motion. Oh, the comings and goings of the cosmos. 

I have a friend who behaves like Jupiter entering retrograde. Always on the go-go-go, and ready to climb any 14er at the drop of the hat. Finally, after much encouragement I reluctantly agree to the hike, only to find halfway up the route, my enthusiastic hiker turns to me, sits down, and says, “You know, let’s check our map and gear before we go further to make sure we’re on the right trail and have everything we need. Give me a sec.” Now that’s personal retrograde.

As for Saturn, it calls to mind an old track coach from high school who was always yelling to run faster and push harder. It would be as if one day, by total surprise, he dropped the whistle and turned and said “Okay, you’ve been running hard for a while. Let’s walk for a bit. Actually, take a minute to fix your shoelace. Now, that’s done, get off your butt, and show me how fast you can hit stride again. Go!” You get the idea.

Leonid Meteor Shower: Peak November 17^th 

The annual Leonid Meteor Shower is active from the 6^th through the 30^th. The meteors radiate from within the constellation Leo. This year it is estimated there will be approximately 15 meteors per hour at its peak on the 17th at 11pm local time. The meteor showers arise when the Earth passes through streams of debris left in the wake of comets and asteroids. Over time, the tiny debris inside the stream spreads along the entire length of the object's orbit. Look between the hours of 11pm and 6:15am for meteors radiating slightly above the east-northeast horizon and then moving due west across the sky as night progresses. The maximum meteors per hour is anticipated to be around 11pm on the 17th.  It’s looking like the best time for this show is in the wee morning hours. Tailor made viewing for all of your early risers! 

The meteor shower is created by the Comet Temple-Tuttle. Every 33-years, the Leonid shower becomes a storm and puts on a spectacular show. Then, thousands of meteors ride the night sky per hour, instead of the 10 – 15 meteors we are likely to see this time.  Astrophysicists believe the debris stream the Earth will pass through this year was like the result of the meteor’s passing in 1767. Next big outbursts? 2033, 2034, 2061, and 2099. 

Those Seven Sisters Dancing Queens Are Back! The Pleiades Return 

They’ve been gone all summer and let’s be honest, we’ve missed them. Now, those seven special swinging swaying sisters of the night are back, and happy to be back; which explains all the dancing. While the daughters of mighty Atlas and the Oceanid nymph Pleione, spend most of their nights fleeing the lecherous Orion the Hunter, during early November, they are free and without concern as the mighty Orion lies below the horizon, far from reach of the sisters. Free to dance, sway, and swirl you can bet they’re glad to be back and having a good time.

Take advantage of this moment to view one of the truly spectacular celestial objects of the autumn and winter seasons as the sisters are easy to see rising over the eastern horizon shortly after 8:30pm local time. The Seven Sisters are formally known as the Pleiades, and also known as Messier 45, or M45 is an open star cluster located in the constellation of Taurus. Galileo Galilei was the first astronomer to view the Pleiades through a telescope, and the Frenchman, Charles Messier, measured the position of the cluster and identified it in his 1771 catalog. An open cluster is a group of up to a few thousand stars that were formed inside the same giant molecular cloud and are roughly the same age. The seven brightest in the cluster are the Seven Sisters and they create a somewhat similar shape as to Ursa Major’s Big Dipper asterism and Ursa Minor’s Little Dipper asterism, which is why Pleiades is informally referred to as the “Mini Dipper.”

When you look for the Pleiades this month, begin by scanning for a bright smudge above the east-northeast horizon. The cluster is roughly the same size as the Full Moon, so look for a similar sized patch of dim brightness in the sky.  Once you find it, avert your vision to the left or right of the smudge and the sisters will greet you. Each sister has a distinct light blue color. This striking blue color results from their age, temperature, luminosity, and all being formed in the same cloud of gas. When you find the cluster you notice the handle of the Mini Dipper is pointing back down towards the horizon. Grab your binoculars to truly experience the color of the stars and just how much it resembles the Big Dipper. While the Seven Sisters dominate the open cluster, it is estimated that the cluster contains over 1,000 stars.

Here’s a thought for you. Why not join the sisters in their happy dance? Taking the hand of your special someone and step outside to sway, swing, shimmy, and dance with those irresistible special siblings? It’s guaranteed, you and your partner won’t be dancing alone.   

A-Monocerotids Meteor Shower: Peak November 21st

Here’s a meteor shower for the late night owl stargazer. Before floating off to dreamland, or streaming your next movie, the a-Monocerotids meteor shower beckons. Here’s what these late nighters know that we don’t know; which is sometimes, the day is better at night. There’s a twist for you. 

The a-Monocerotids meteor shower is the result of comet C/1917 F1 Mellish and is active from the 15^th through the 25^th. The peak Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) is near 4am local time the morning of the 21^st. On the night of the 20^th look towards the eastern horizon after 11pm local time to find the radiant point of the shower inside the constellation Canis Minor. The meteor shower is visible till dawn breaks on the 21^st. The peak time to view the shower at 4am local time is when its radiant point is directly overhead (the Zenith). By then, the Earth’s rotation achieves an optimal direction towards the incoming meteors, so more meteors rain vertically straight down towards you. Before and after that period the meteors hit the Earth’s atmosphere at an oblique angle. While fewer meteors, those you see tend to last longer and traverse a greater distance of the inky night sky before burning up.

Once again, November shows us how it is a month of yin and yang. This is a good yin too. The night of the 20th and the next morning is the a-Monocerotids peak period. The Moon rises and sets quickly on the 20th as it is a waxing crescent only 1-day old helping you view fainter, dimmer meteors.    

Orionid Meteor Shower:  Peak November 28^th

The Orionid meteor shower is active this year between November 13^th and December 6^th. At peak on the 28^th, the Orionid are anticipated to produce around 3 meteors per hour. Not that much. Sad to say, the Moon rests in the constellation Taurus, and is one day past first quarter as the shower’s peak and consequently spreads interfering light across the night sky. You’ll never see the dimmer meteors as they will be washed out by moonlight. Yet, for the undaunted, the radiant point (central origination point of the meteor shower) is in the constellation Orion which becomes visible after the constellation rises above the eastern horizon around 6:35pm local time. Like a couple of meteor showers this November, the show lasts all night, setting when they are obscured by the next morning’s sunrise. It is anticipated that the peak of this shower is 2pm local time when its radiant point is highest in the sky.

To find the radiant point for the Orionid Meteor Shower, simply go back and review the directions above for locating both the Northern Taurids Meteor Shower and the Pleiades star cluster. The only difference is that the Orionid shower is one hour later, and on a different date. How easy is that? 

This November is a yin and yang autumnal month chocked full of celestial events that begin with the letter “R” like return, retrograde, and reversal. Oh, and there are four meteor showers to get you outside.

When you look up at the celestial sphere you’ll experience a yin of beauty and bounty in the form of meteor showers, planets, and star clusters. Yin in November is the mystery and grandeur that beckons you to go outside and feel in the presence of the universe on any clear night. Maybe it is the same for you. Yet, there’s yang in November. That pesky Moon and the undeniable chill on your nose, ears, and toes. A shiver up your spine is followed by the faint question of “what am I doing out here?” rising in volume from the back of your mind. That’s yang right there.

Stay strong my stargazing friend. Dress warmly, and carry on. Remember that the cosmos will welcome you even if you are out for only 5 minutes. Put your down jacket on and pull the hood up over your head. Step outside and look up; connect with this wonderfully expanding mysterious universe above you, around you, and in you.  You’ll be thankful that you did.

Did I mention there are four meteor showers this month?

Clear skies to you, and Happy Thanksgiving.