The Sky This Week from Nov. 14 to 21: The Leonids peak

Sky This Week is dropped at you partly by Celestron.

Friday, November 14
Auriga the Charioteer rides excessive within the sky tonight, reaching an altitude of 70° above the jap horizon by native midnight. Several vivid deep-sky objects name Auriga house, akin to open clusters M36, M37, and M38. 

Highest within the sky this night is magnitude 7.4 M38, which lies just below 1.5° north of magnitude 5.1 Phi (φ) Aurigae. Spanning 21’ on the sky, this unfastened cluster incorporates many scattered suns and is seen in binoculars or a telescope. 

From M38, drop about 2.3° southeast to land on magnitude 6.3 M36. Home to about 60 stars, this younger cluster covers about 12’ on the sky, about half the dimensions of M38. However, that makes it a bit extra concentrated and simple to establish, as its stars seem much less scattered. 

Finally, transfer 3.7° east-southeast of M36 to complete at M37, the brightest of the trio at magnitude 6.2. At 24’ in diameter, it’s additionally a contact bigger than M38 and incorporates a complete of about 500 stars. Despite its complete measurement, nonetheless, this cluster will even seem extra centrally concentrated than M38, which is the loosest of the three. 

Sunrise: 6:44 A.M.
Sunset: 4:44 P.M.
Moonrise: 1:19 A.M.
Moonset: 2:03 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (22%)
*Times for dawn, sundown, moonrise, and moonset are given in native time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 10 P.M. native time from the identical location.

Saturday, November 15
Dwarf planet 1 Ceres, the ruler of the principle belt, is at the moment making its approach by way of Cetus the Whale. Tonight Ceres is approaching the double star HD 2447. 

The greatest time to catch the scene is round 9 P.M. native time, when Ceres is highest within the sky. You’ll discover it within the south, to the decrease left of the brilliant planet Saturn, which dominates this area. About 9.5° southeast of Saturn is the magnitude 3.6 star Iota (ι) Ceti. From this star, transfer your binoculars or telescope about 2.7° farther southeast to find Ninth-magnitude HD 2447, whose companion is about 45” away. Slightly brighter Eighth-magnitude Ceres is a few 4.5’ southeast of this pair.  You can seize all three factors of sunshine in a single subject of view. 

Come again tomorrow night time on the similar time to see that Ceres has moved simply northwest of  these stars — it should sit roughly 1’ from the northernmost star within the pair the night time of the sixteenth.

Sunrise: 6:45 A.M.
Sunset: 4:43 P.M.
Moonrise: 2:20 A.M.
Moonset: 2:23 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (15%)

Sunday, November 16
Saturn’s moon Iapetus reaches western elongation at present, when it’s at its brightest. Now round Tenth magnitude, you could find Iapetus some 10’ west of Saturn. 

The ringed planet is already above the horizon because the Sun units; two hours later it’s 40° excessive within the south, hanging beneath the Circlet of Pisces. It’s the brightest mild on this a part of the sky, shining at magnitude 0.8. Don’t confuse it with barely fainter magnitude 1.2 Fomalhaut, which lies a lot nearer to the horizon to Saturn’s decrease proper. 

Zoom in on Saturn with a telescope to view its brighter moons. Easiest to seek out is mid-Eighth-magnitude Titan, which lies some 2.3’ east of Saturn this night. Closer to Saturn, Tenth-magnitude Dione, Rhea, and Tethys can also be seen, relying on while you look. Dione lies simply east of Saturn, whereas Rhea is simply to the west. Tethys is transiting the planet — possible invisible to visible observers — for 3 hours, between roughly 6 P.M. to 9 P.M. EST. Before this, it’s seen near Saturn’s jap limb; afterward, it may be seen transferring away from the planet’s western limb. 

Iapetus is roughly the identical magnitude as these three fainter moons, however a lot farther from the planet. It lies 10’ to the planet’s west. There is a barely fainter Eleventh-magnitude subject star simply 5’ farther west than Iapetus, so make be aware to not confuse the 2. Of the 2, Iapetus is barely brighter and nearer to Saturn. 

Sunrise: 6:47 A.M.
Sunset: 4:42 P.M.
Moonrise: 3:21 A.M.
Moonset: 2:43 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (9%)

Monday, November 17
The Moon passes 1.2° south of Spica at 6 A.M. EST. The pair is seen within the early-morning sky earlier than dawn, our Moon now a fragile crescent with simply 7 % of its nearside illuminated by the Sun. If you step exterior at 6 A.M. native time, you’ll additionally catch vivid Venus to the decrease left of the pair, only a bit greater than 2° above the jap horizon in Libra. 

Pull out a telescope and also you’ll see that Venus’ 10”-wide disk is 98 % lit, wanting almost full. By distinction, the Moon is essentially darkish, however you’ll be able to nonetheless make out options on the nearside due to earthshine, as mild from the illuminated Earth lights up the Moon’s shadowed areas. Make certain to place away any optics no less than a number of minutes earlier than dawn out of your location, which can differ from the time beneath. 

In the night sky, Jupiter’s massive moon Ganymede is transiting the gasoline large’s disk. The planet rises round 8:40 P.M. native time in Gemini the Twins. The transit begins shortly after Jupiter rises for observers alongside the U.S. East Coast, as Ganymede strikes in entrance of the planet’s jap limb. Farther west, the moon seems progressively additional in its transit, transferring from east to west, because the planet rises. Ganymede lastly reaches Jupiter’s western limb early on the 18th for these within the Eastern time zone solely, at 12:55 A.M. EST (nonetheless late on the seventeenth farther west). 

The Leonid meteor bathe peaks in a single day tonight, with the radiant rising round 11 P.M. native time. The greatest alternatives to catch vivid bathe meteors will likely be tomorrow morning throughout the early hours of the 18th, when the radiant is excessive and observers are on Earth’s main hemisphere. Keep studying for extra particulars in tomorrow’s entry.

Sunrise: 6:48 A.M.
Sunset: 4:42 P.M.
Moonrise: 4:21 A.M.
Moonset: 3:05 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (4%)

Tuesday, November 18
The Leonid meteor bathe ought to produce many vivid meteors seen early this morning. The radiant, positioned in Leo to the higher left of vivid Regulus and close to the Third-magnitude star Zeta (ζ) Leonis, has climbed to greater than 50° excessive within the east by 4 A.M. native time. The skinny crescent Moon wont’ rise till round 5:30 A.M. native time, although even then it received’t intrude a lot. 

Leonid meteors are sometimes fast-moving and go away lengthy, vivid, persistent trains within the sky. You’re most probably to see the longest trains some 40° to 60° away from the radiant, so scan your eyes to the left and proper of Leo within the sky when you’ve discovered it. Although the utmost charge at peak is just about 15 meteors per hour, the brilliant bathe members that do seem will definitely be value catching. No gear is critical for this — naked-eye observing is greatest! 

Tonight within the night sky, distant Neptune stands 2° due north of 27 Piscium, a Fifth-magnitude star in Pisces. You can discover the magnitude 7.7 planet in binoculars or a telescope by first finding vivid Saturn. From right here, skim about 4° northeast and search for a line of three stars that shine between 4th and Fifth magnitude. The southeasternmost and brightest star on this line is 27 Psc, and Neptune is due north of it. Note there may be one other Fifth-magnitude star about 1° northeast of 27 Psc, however this isn’t the planet. It will likely be a lot brighter than Neptune, in addition to a lot nearer to 27 Psc than the planet’s location. 

Sunrise: 6:49 A.M.
Sunset: 4:41 P.M.
Moonrise: 5:23 A.M.
Moonset: 3:30 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (1%)

Wednesday, November 19
The Moon now passes 6° south of Venus at 4 A.M. EST. When it rises round 6:30 A.M. native time, the Moon will likely be lower than 1 % lit and fewer than 24 hours from New, posing an excessive problem for viewing. However, if you wish to give it a strive, it’s doable — simply take excessive care by no means to level any optics, akin to binoculars or a telescope, close to the rising Sun. 

Related: Is the New Moon ever seen? 

Earlier within the morning, nonetheless, there’s a neater remark to make: vivid Venus close to magnitude 2.8 Zubenelgenubi, additionally cataloged as Alpha² (α²) Librae. Try for the pairing about 40 minutes earlier than dawn, when the 2 are about 3° excessive within the east. At magnitude –3.9, Venus is simple to seek out. Zubenelgenubi is 0.8° to the planet’s proper, roughly even with it in altitude because it rises. If you’ll be able to’t see the star with out optical support within the brightening sky, strive utilizing binoculars or a telescope. Both will seem in the identical subject of view.

The Moon reaches apogee at 9:48 P.M. EST. This is the farthest level from Earth in its orbit round our planet, and our satellite tv for pc will sit 252,706 miles (406,691 kilometers) away at the moment. 

Sunrise: 6:50 A.M.
Sunset: 4:40 P.M.
Moonrise: 6:25 A.M.
Moonset: 3:59 P.M.
Moon Phase: New

Thursday, November 20
New Moon happens at 1:47 A.M. EST. A couple of hours later, Mercury reaches inferior conjunction with the Sun at 4 A.M. EST.

Tonight, all of the motion is over at Jupiter. The large planet rises in Gemini round 8:30 P.M. native time; as quickly because it’s seen above the horizon, East Coast observers will discover two darkish shadows close to the southeastern limb. The bigger shadow nearer to the planet’s middle is Callisto’s, though that moon lies far to the planet’s east. Closer to the planet’s limb is Io’s shadow, which belongs to the small vivid level that can also be nearer to the planet on the jap aspect. Europa and Ganymede mislead Jupiter’s west. 

By 9:30 P.M. EST, Io’s shadow has caught as much as Callisto’s and each are roughly central on the disk, with Io’s shadow north of Callisto’s. Io is almost on the limb — it begins a transit round 9:37 P.M. EST. Io’s shadow rapidly overtakes Callisto’s, reaching the western limb first and exiting by 10:10 P.M. EST, with Io somewhat greater than midway in its journey throughout the disk from east to west. Callisto’s shadow is now nearing the southwestern limb, lastly disappearing shortly earlier than 11:30 P.M. EST. Io’s transit ends not lengthy earlier than midnight EST. Which of those occasions it is possible for you to to see will rely in your time zone. 

Tomorrow morning, beginning at 5:53 A.M. EST on the twenty first, Callisto will lastly attain Jupiter’s jap limb and start to transit. Everyone throughout the U.S. will be capable of catch the transit’s begin, although the Sun will rise with Callisto nonetheless crossing the disk. 

Sunrise: 6:51 A.M.
Sunset: 4:40 P.M.
Moonrise: 7:28 A.M.
Moonset: 4:33 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (1%)

Friday, November 21
Uranus reaches opposition at 7 A.M. EST. Now is the most effective time to see the distant ice large, floating among the many stars of Taurus. 

At opposition, planets rise round sundown and set round dawn. Because Uranus is faint (magnitude 5.6), you’ll need to give it time to climb above the hazier air close to the horizon. By 8 P.M. native time, Uranus is almost 40° excessive within the east, positioned to the decrease proper of the easy-to-find Pleiades star cluster (M45). 

Pull out binoculars or any telescope and middle on the Pleiades. From there, transfer about 4.3° south (to the decrease proper) and search for a pair of Sixth-magnitude stars aspect by aspect: these are 13 and 14 Tauri. Uranus at the moment types an east-west line with these stars, standing about 0.9° east of the easternmost star within the pair (barely fainter 14 Tau). At magnitude 5.6, Uranus is brighter than 14 Tau and roughly the identical brightness as 13 Tau, sandwiching the fainter star between them. 

In a telescope, you could possibly discern the planet’s 4”-wide disk, which can seem like a tiny, round, “flat” star that reveals off a grayish hue. 

Sunrise: 6:52 A.M.
Sunset: 4:39 P.M.
Moonrise: 8:28 A.M.
Moonset: 5:16 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (3%)