The moon is full Nov. 10, and watch for a close meeting in the east with Jupiter Nov. 9. About five degrees separates them.
Nov. 19, Mars and the moon share the early morning sky. Three days later, Saturn is within seven degrees, joined by the bright star, Spica. The 25th sees a new moon and a partial solar eclipse in the far southern latitudes. The following day in the west, Mercury is a close 1.7 degrees away, and Venus shares the western evening sky with our satellite Nov. 27.
Mercury and Venus start the month only two degrees apart in the west at sundown, and again on the night of Nov. 13. Nov. 26, as mentioned above, watch for the moon and Mercury making a close but uneven pair.
Venus has taken up residence in the western sky to become the Evening Star, shining like a beacon. People often mistake Venus for something sinister - a fireball coming right at us, a UFO, or some such object. It's the brightness that sends the imagination racing, because, in the minds of many, nothing could be that bright and not be dangerous. In the minds of the ancient Greeks and Romans, Venus was the embodiment of beauty. Little did they know the hellish conditions beneath that bright cloud cover. The temperature is hot enough to melt lead, and the atmosphere is a choking cloud of sulphuric acid and extreme winds. Not very nice! Venus, Mercury and Antares share the spotlight at the beginning of the month, from Nov. 8 to the 11, low in the western twilight.
Mars rises in the east before sunrise, but quickly gets lost in the sun's glare as the morning proceeds. Watch for a close pass by Regulus on the morning Nov. 10.
Bright Jupiter rises in the east about sundown, and crosses the sky all through the night. The moon and Jupiter make a nice pair on the evening of Nov. 9.
Saturn is an early morning object, rising after Mars, and just before the sun rises in the east. The Ringed Planet rises earlier with each passing morning.
Uranus is an easy target these nights; use binoculars or a telescope to get the most out of viewing the greenish planet. Once you know where to look, it quickly becomes recognizable as a disk, rather than a twinkling star.
Neptune is much the same, except a telescope is a must. It's so tiny looking, you really need a finder chart to help locate the blue-green planet, so you know you have the correct object in the eyepiece.
The south Taurid meteors peak on the evening of Nov. 5; the north Taurids peak Nov. 12, but the bright moon will obscure most meteors.
And, don't pass up giving Orion a good look, just a bit lower and to the east of Taurus, surrounded by some of the brightest stars in the sky.
- James Edgar has had an interest in the night sky all his life. He joined The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2000. He is editor's assistant and a contributor to the Observer's Handbook, production manager of the bi-monthly RASC Journal and is the society's national secretary.
