What’s In November’s Skies

By Matt Woods

Planets:

Mercury will reappear close to Venus in the last week of November in between the constellations of Scorpius (The Scorpion) and Ophiuchus (The Serpent-Bearer) a few days later. Venus also reappears in the evening in November. Similar to Mercury, it’s low in the South West just after the middle of November, and moves from the constellation of Scorpius into the constellation of Ophiuchus after a few days. Mars can still be found in the constellation Taurus (The Bull) between the bull’s two horns in the middle of the night.

Jupiter can be found throughout the night in between the constellations of Cetus (The Sea Monster) and Pisces (The Fish). Saturn can be found in the evening sky in the constellation of Capricornus (The Sea-Goat) and its sets halfway through the night. Uranus can be found in between the constellations of Aries (The Ram) and Taurus. Neptune is near Jupiter again in November. It can be located, in between the constellations of Pisces, Cetus, and Aquarius (The Water Bearer).

Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune on the 15/11/22 at 07:45 pm. Image Credit: Stellarium Mars, and Uranus on the 15/11/22 at 11:00 pm. Image Credit: Stellarium

Astronomical Events:

Total Lunar Eclipse:

On Tuesday the 8th of November, a Total Lunar Eclipse will occur for us here in Perth, the rest of Australia and New Zealand, The Arctic, Asia, and both North and Central Americas. Antarctica, Central Asia, North East Europe, and much of South America will experience either a Partial Lunar Eclipse or Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. From our point of view here in Perth, the Moon passes into Earth’s inner shadow (Called the Umbra). When the Moon is completely in the Earth’s inner shadow, it turns blood orange due to Rayleigh Scattering.

This is the final eclipse for 2022, and the eclipse starts in Perth with the Moon below the horizon at 04:02 pm (AWST), and the Moon will still be below the horizon when totality begins at 6:16 pm (AWST). The Moon rises at 6:43 pm (AWST), 16 minutes before the eclipse reaches its maximum eclipse, and totality ends at 7:41 pm. The second partial phase of the eclipse will finish at 08:49 pm (AWST), and the eclipse will end at 9:56 pm (AWST).

A Total Lunar Eclipse. Image Credit & Copyright: Roger Groom Total Lunar Eclipse viewing map. Image Credit & Copyright: timeanddate.com

The Northern Taurid Meteor Shower:

The Northern Taurid meteor shower will be active from the 20th of November to the 10th of December, and the peak is expected to be on the night of the 12th/13th of November. It’s best to go out around 02:00 am (AWST) as the radiant point of the Northern Taurids will be at its highest point in the North. In 2022, the Northern Taurids are expected to produce around 2 meteors per hour as the Moon will be four days past the Full Moon so there’ll be a lot of light pollution from it.

The source of the Northern Taurids is the asteroid 2004 TG10. It’s an eccentric asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group. It was first observed by the Spacewatch survey on 8th of November 2004, and it may be larger than one kilometre in diameter. Asteroid 2004 TG10 may be a fragment of Comet Encke and is also the source of June’s Beta Taurids which is a minor shower.

Northern Taurid Meteor Shower on the 18/11/22 at 04:00 am. Image Credit: Stellarium

Northern Taurid Meteor Shower. Image Credit & Copyright: Sebastien Joly

The Leonids Meteor Shower:

The Leonids meteor shower will be active from the 6th of November to the 30th of November, and the peak is expected to be on the night of the 17th/18th of November. You’ll have to go out around 03:00 am (AWST) to before sunrise as the radiant point of the Leonids is in the Leo Constellation and it rises in the early morning. In 2022, the Leonids are expected to produce around 7 meteors per hour as the Moon will nearly be a Waxing Crescent so there’ll be a bit of light pollution from it.

Leonid Meteor Shower on the 18/11/22 at 04:00 am. Image Credit: Stellarium Leonid Meteor Shower. Image Credit & Copyright: Jimmy Westlake

Southern Beehive Cluster on the 15/11/22 at 09:00 pm. Image Credit: Stellarium

Celestial Wonder To Look At This Month:

The Southern Beehive Cluster:

The Southern Beehive Cluster (NGC 2516) also known as the Diamond Cluster or the Sprinter Cluster, is an open star cluster in the southern constellation Carina (The Keel). Amateur astronomers refer to it as the Southern Beehive Cluster because of its resemblance to the Beehive Cluster (M44). It lies around 1,300 lightyears away from Earth and it’s 66 light-years across. The cluster contains more than 100 stars which are estimated to be between 110 million and 135 million years old.

French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille discovered it in 1751, using a ½-inch refractor. That may not seem like a large scope, but such an instrument gathers 3.3 times as much light as a fully dark-adapted human eye.

Messier 22

The Southern Beehive Cluster

Image Credit & Copyright: Ian Baber