Mercury an evening object later in the month

Mercury an evening object later in the month

November opens with the moon just a few degrees west of Saturn, and nearby Venus a bit to the east makes a close grouping for the three objects. This could be a nice evening photo opportunity, but the very new moon could be challenging.

Nov. 9, Neptune repeats the occultation from last month, but this time for viewers in western Asia and eastern Europe. The moon is full Nov. 14, quickly followed by a close pairing with Aldebaran, the bright star in the Hyades Cluster, another occultation in the Eastern Hemisphere. By Nov. 21, Regulus in Leo, the lion, is just over a degree away from the moon and Jupiter snuggles up to within two degrees Nov. 25.

Mercury is an evening object late in the month, but the shallow angle of the ecliptic makes for a difficult observation. On the evening Nov. 30, right after sundown, Venus, Mercury, the moon and Saturn should be visible in the west, low to the horizon.

Venus, the Evening Star, dazzles in the west after sunset. Watch for the close grouping with Saturn and the moon early in the month, as mentioned above, plus the addition of Mercury late in the month.

Mars sets in mid-evening, a tough observation right after sunset, before becoming lost in the low horizon murky skies.

Jupiter, in the constellation Virgo, the maiden, rises low in the eastern sky before daybreak, getting higher with each passing day. Of course, it’s us on Earth moving faster, and leaving Jupiter behind that makes it appear that the gas giant gets higher in the sky each day. Watch for the nearby waning moon Nov. 24 and 25.

Saturn appears in the southwest after the sun’s light fades. Watch for the nearby moon and Venus Nov. 1, with the addition of Mercury Nov. 30.

Uranus is in a good position in the eastern evening sky, rising at sundown and crossing the sky all through the night. The nearby moon Nov. 11 is a nice pairing, making the blue-green planet easy to pick out.

Neptune rises about an hour earlier than sundown, and is barely visible, even with a good telescope. Nonetheless, it can be seen, and the night of Nov. 9 makes for a good viewing opportunity, as the moon is within a couple of degrees.

A couple of meteor showers occur early in November  — the South Taurids on the night of Nov. 5 and the North Taurids on the night of Nov. 12. These are rather weak showers, with an expected hourly rate, under ideal conditions, of 10 and 15 sightings per hour, respectively.

Daylight Saving Time ends Nov. 6.

— James Edgar has had an interest in the night sky all his life. He joined The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2000 and is now the Society’s president, assistant editor and a contributor to the renowned Observer’s Handbook, and production manager of the bi-monthly RASC Journal. He was given the RASC Service Award at the 2012 General Assembly in Edmonton.