Telescope Reviews: November 2010 Celestial Calendar

November 2010 Calendar by Dave Mitsky

All times are UT (subtract five hours and, when appropriate, one calendar day for EST when DST ends)

11/2 Asteroid 3 Juno is 0.7 degree south of the Moon at 0:00
11/3 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 33'00" from a distance of 364,191 kilometers (226,298 miles), at 17:25
11/4 Mercury is at aphelion today; Saturn is 8 degrees north of the Moon at 6:00
11/5 The peak of the Southern Taurid meteor shower (5 to 10 per hour) occurs at 16:00
11/6 New Moon (lunation 1087) occurs at 4:52
11/7 Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends today; Neptune is stationary at 8:00; a double Galilean shadow transit begins at 8:13; Mars is 1.6 degrees north of the Moon at 22:00
11/10 Asteroid 4 Vesta is in conjunction with the Sun today; Mars is 4 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 3:00
11/12 The peak of the Northern Taurid meteor shower (5 to 10 per hour) occurs at 16:00
11/13 First Quarter Moon occurs at 16:38; the Lunar X (Purbach or Werner Cross), an X-shaped illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to occur at 17:38
11/14 Neptune is 5 degrees south of the Moon at 6:00
11/15 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'12" from a distance of 404,631 kilometers (251,456 miles), at 11:45
11/16 Jupiter is 7 degrees south of the Moon at 16:00; Venus is stationary at 16:00; Uranus is 6 degrees south of the Moon at 22:00
11/17 The peak of the Leonid meteor shower (20 per hour) occurs at 22:00
11/19 Jupiter is stationary at 6:00
11/21 Full Moon, known as the Beaver or Frost Moon, occurs at 17:27; the Moon is 1.3 degrees south of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades) in Taurus at 18:00
11/23 Venus is at the ascending node today
11/24 The Moon is 0.8 degree south of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 5:00
11/28 Last Quarter Moon occurs at 20:36
11/29 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to occur at 21:58
11/30 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32'13" from a distance of 364,194 kilometers (229,954 miles), at 18:56

Edmund Halley, William Herschel, Harlow Shapley, and Edwin Hubble were born this month.

The first photograph of a meteor was taken in November of 1885. The peak of this year’s Leonid meteor shower is partially compromised by a waxing Moon.

The Moon is 24.2 days old and resides in Leo on November 1 at 0:00 UT. An incredibly thin 0.9% illuminated waning Moon may be visible a few degrees below Venus on the morning of November 5. The Moon reaches its greatest northern declination on November 23 (+24.2 degrees) and its greatest southern declination on November 8 (-24.3 degrees). Longitudinal libration is at a maximum of +6.5 degrees on November 9 and a minimum of -4.6 degrees on November 22. Latitudinal libration is at a maximum of +6.7 degrees on November 3 and +6.8 degrees on November 30 and a minimum of -6.8 degrees on November 17. Browse http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/ for information on lunar occultations. Visit http://www.astronomyblogs.com/member/saberscorpx/?xjMsgID=50821 for tips on spotting extreme crescent Moons. Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm

The Sun is located in Libra on November 1 at 0:00 UT.

Brightness, apparent size, illumination, distance from the Earth in astronomical units, and location data for the planets and Pluto on November 1: Mercury (-0.7 magnitude, 4.7", 97% illuminated, 1.42 a.u., Libra), Venus (-4.3 magnitude, 61.3", 1% illuminated, 0.27 a.u., Virgo), Mars (1.4 magnitude, 4.0", 98% illuminated, 2.33 a.u., Scorpius), Jupiter (-2.8 magnitude, 47.0", 100% illuminated, 4.20 a.u., Aquarius), Saturn (0.9 magnitude, 15.9", 100% illuminated, 10.44 a.u., Virgo), Uranus (5.8 magnitude, 3.6", 100% illuminated, 19.35 a.u., Pisces), Neptune (7.9 magnitude, 2.3", 100% illuminated, 29.72 a.u., Capricornus), and Pluto (14.1 magnitude, 0.1", 100% illuminated, 32.50 a.u., Sagittarius).

During the evening, Mercury and Mars can be found in the southwest, Jupiter and Uranus in the southeast, and Neptune in the south. Jupiter and Uranus lie in the southwest at midnight. In the morning, Venus and Saturn are located in the southeast.

At midmonth, Mercury can be seen during evening twilight, Mars sets at 6:00 p.m. EST, Jupiter transits at 8:00 p.m. EST and sets at 2:00 a.m. EST, and Saturn rises at 3:00 a.m. EST for observers at latitude 40 degrees north.

Mercury passes 1.7 degrees south of Mars, the closest approach of the two planets this year, on the evening of November 20. Mercury, at magnitude -0.4, is over five times brighter than Mars. Both planets are very close to the horizon at the time so binoculars will be required to view them. By month’s end, Mercury has climbed to an altitude of 6 degrees a half hour after sunset. A graphic showing Mercury's motion is posted at http://www.curtrenz.com/1024i.html

Venus appears as an extremely thin 1% crescent about one arc minute in size on the morning of November 2. By November 15, it is 15 degrees above the horizon at sunrise, is illuminated 9%, and subtends 54 arc seconds. On November 30, Venus has shrunk to 43 arc seconds in apparent size and is lit 23%. The planet is 6 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) on November 7. Browse http://www.curtrenz.com/1024o.html for a graphic showing the position of Venus for the next nine months.

A faintly shining Mars disappears into the glare of the Sun by the end of November.

During November, Jupiter decreases 10% in apparent size and drops slightly in brightness to a still very respectable magnitude -2.6. The planet ends its retrograde motion on November 19. During the first half of the month, Jupiter lies 3.5 degrees west-southwest of Uranus. Jupiter’s eastward motion carries it to within 3 degrees of Uranus by the end of November. Two dual eclipse reappearances involving Io and Europa take place this month. On November 1, Io clears the shadow of Jupiter at 9:14 p.m. EDT, followed by Europa just four arc minutes to the northeast at 9:40 p.m. EDT. Io reappears at 12:05 a.m. EST and Europa at 12:58 p.m. EST on the morning of November 16. A double Galilean shadow transit by Europa and Ganymede begins at 3:12 a.m. EST on the morning of November 7 and a shadow transit by Io starts at 10:42 p.m. EST that evening. Browse http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_107_1.asp to determine transits of the central meridian by the Great Red Spot. Data on the Galilean satellites is available at http://skytonight.com/observing/objects/javascript/3307071.html#

By the end of the month, Saturn is 30 degrees high as morning twilight begins. It’s located one degree from Gamma Virginis at the start of November and shines a bit brighter than Spica. The tilt angle of Saturn’s rings has increased to 9 degrees, making the Cassini Division far easier to observe. For information on the satellites of Saturn, browse http://skytonight.com/observing/objects/javascript/3308506.html

Uranus is located approximately three degrees northeast of Jupiter throughout November. It passes 42 arc minutes north of the star 20 Piscium (which, at magnitude 5.5, shines 0.3 magnitude brighter than Uranus) on November 31.

Neptune can be found three degrees northeast of the third-magnitude star Delta Capricorni. It lies just 0.2 degree away from the fifth-magnitude star Mu Capricorni. Neptune’s brightest satellite Triton, which glows dimly at magnitude 13.5, is at maximum northeastern elongation on November 1.

Finder charts for Uranus and Neptune are posted at http://media.skyandtelescope.com/documents/Uranus_Neptune_2010.pdf

The dwarf planet Pluto is not a viable telescopic target again until next year.

Asteroid 6 Hebe (magnitude 8.6) travels northeastward through Cetus this month. It passes one degree southeast of 7 Ceti on November 26.

During November, Comet 103P/Hartley (Comet Hartley 2) glides southward through Canis Minor and Monoceros. At approximately 9:50 a.m. EDT on November 4, NASA’s EPOXI (Extrasolar Planet Observation and Characterization and Deep Impact Extended Investigation) spacecraft will pass within 700 kilometers (450 miles) of Comet Hartley 2's tiny 1.5 kilometer (0.9 mile) nucleus. Browse http://epoxi.umd.edu/ for information on the mission. On November 6, the comet lies about five degrees to the west of the first-magnitude star Procyon (Alpha Canis Minoris). See http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/ for additional information on 103P/Hartley. Finder charts for the comet can be found at http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/102632669.html and an ephemeris is posted at http://scully.cfa.harvard.edu/~cgi/ReturnPrepEph?d=c&o=0103P

A free star map for November can be downloaded at http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

Under dark skies, two stars with exoplanetary systems, Upsilon Andromedae (magnitude 4.1) and 51 Pegasi (magnitude 5.5), can be seen this month without optical aid.

The famous eclipsing variable star Algol (Beta Persei) is at a minimum, decreasing in magnitude from 2.1 to 3.4, on November 1, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, and 27. Consult http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/variablestars/Minima_of_Algol.html for the times of the eclipses. For more on Algol, see http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/Algol.html and http://www.solstation.com/stars2/algol3.htm

The famous pulsating variable star Mira (Omicron Ceti), the Wonderful, remains fairly easy to see without optical aid during November. Click on http://spider.seds.org/spider/Vars/mira.html for further information on Mira.

Seventy binary and multiple stars for November: Otto Struve 514, Alpha Andromedae (Alpheratz), Struve 3, h1947, Struve 19, Struve 24, 26 Andromedae, Struve 40, Pi Andromedae, Delta Andromedae, Struve 47, Eta Andromedae, Struve 79, Beta Andromedae (Mirach), Struve 108, Struve 179, South 404 (Andromeda); 1 Arietis, Struve 178, Gamma Arietis, Lambda Arietis (Mesarthim) (Aries); Struve 3053, Struve 3057, Struve 16, Struve 30, Otto Struve 16, Alpha Cassiopeiae (Schedar), Struve 59, Eta Cassiopeiae, Burnham 1, Struve 70, Otto Struve 23, h1088, Struve 163, Struve 170, Struve 182 (Cassiopeia); 34 Piscium, Struve 8, 35 Piscium, Struve 15, 38 Piscium, 42 Piscium, 49 Piscium, 51 Piscium, 55 Piscium, 65 Piscium, Psi Piscium, Otto Struve 22, Struve 98, Otto Struve 26, Phi Piscium, Zeta Piscium, h636, Otto Struve 30, Struve 122, Struve 132, Otto Struve 31, 100 Piscium, Struve 145, 107 Piscium, h644 (Pisces); h5440, Kappa-1 Sculptoris, h1949, h3442, h3379, Tau Sculptoris, Epsilon Sculptoris (Sculptor); Struve 143, Struve 183 (Triangulum)

Challenge binary star for November: 36 Andromedae

Notable carbon star for November: Z Piscium

Seventy deep-sky objects for November: M31, M32, M110, NGC 252, NGC 404, NGC 752 (Andromeda); NGC 680, NGC 691, NGC 697, NGC 772 (Aries); Cr 463, IC 1747, K14, M103, NGC 129, NGC 133, NGC 146, NGC 185, NGC 225, NGC 281, NGC 278, NGC 381, NGC 436, NGC 457, NGC 559, NGC 637, NGC 654, NGC 659, NGC 663, Tr 1 (Cassiopeia); NGC 40, NGC 188 (Cepheus); NGC 151, NGC 175, NGC 178, NGC 210, NGC 227, NGC 245, NGC 246, NGC 247, NGC 274, NGC 337, NGC 578, NGC 584, NGC 596, NGC 615, NGC 636, NGC 681, NGC 720, NGC 779 (Cetus); NGC 7814 (Pegasus); M76, St 4 (Perseus); M74, NGC 128, NGC 194, NGC 488, NGC 524 (Pisces); NGC 24, NGC 55, NGC 134, NGC 150, NGC 253, NGC 254, NGC 288, NGC 289, NGC 439, NGC 613 (Sculptor); M33, NGC 672 (Triangulum)

Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for November: M31, M33, M103, NGC 225, NGC 253, NGC 288, NGC 457, NGC 654, NGC 663, NGC 752

Top ten deep-sky objects for November: M31, M32, M33, M76, M103, M110, NGC 40, NGC 253, NGC 457, NGC 752

Challenge deep-sky object for November: IC 59 (Cassiopeia)

The objects listed above are located between 0:00 and 2:00 hours of right ascension.