November’s cosmic forecast calls for Leonid showers
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Version 0 of 1. As November begins, the morning heavens offer planetary mirth in the east, as Venus, Jupiter and Mars frolic against the backdrop of the constellations Leo and Virgo, and the Leonid meteors pay a short visit later in the month. The constellation Leo rises around 1 a.m., and the gaseous giant Jupiter ascends the east at about 2:15 a.m. near the back legs of the lion. We’ll see that big planet at -1.8 magnitude (bright), and it becomes a little brighter (-1.9 magnitude) toward the middle of November. Venus appears to have moved away from Jupiter since its late October rendezvous, only to approach Mars in November. Before dawn, the reddish Mars rises, dancing in the eastern sky with Venus on Nov. 2, and the two planets conjunct Nov. 3, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. Both planets rise at about 2:45 a.m. as they’re less than a degree apart. Find Mars at 1.7 magnitude (somewhat dim in urban, light-polluted skies), while the ebullient Venus is found at -4.5 magnitude, quite bright. After sunset, look low to the west as the ringed planet Saturn (zero magnitude, bright) sets at about 6:30 p.m. By the middle of November, Saturn drops below the western horizon by about 5:40 p.m., and the planet hides in the sun’s glare at month’s end. Occasionally the Leonid meteors produce a torrential shower, but the International Meteor Organization believes the Leonid peak on Nov. 17-18 will be normal this year, with about 20 shooting stars an hour. If it is clear and you spend an hour watching after midnight Nov.18, you might spot a handful. Meteors are tiny pieces of dust that comets leave behind. When the Earth runs into these dusty comet trails, the bits hit our atmosphere and burn up, and we get to see these burning remains as shooting stars. Down-to-Earth events ● Nov. 2 — Behold November’s night sky in the “Stars Tonight” at the David M. Brown Planetarium, 1426 N. Quincy St., Arlington, Va. 7:30 p.m. $3. www. friendsoftheplanetarium.org. ● Nov. 5 – Astronomer Chris Reynolds examines “Why Do Black Holes Shine?” at the University of Maryland Observatory, College Park. 8 p.m. Afterward, scan the night sky through telescopes, weather permitting. www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse. ● Nov. 6 – Hear about ancient cosmic calculators and sprinkle that knowledge with physics fun: “Astrolabe and Fermions: The Same Mathematical Projection,” a special presentation for the Maryland STEM Festival at the Montgomery College planetarium, 7600 Takoma Ave., Takoma Park, Md. 7 p.m. www.marylandstemfestival.org. ● Nov. 7 – Gather to gaze at the crisp autumnal heavens at “Exploring the Sky,” the last one of the season, hosted by the National Park Service and the National Capital Astronomers, at Rock Creek Park near the Nature Center in the field south of Military and Glover roads NW. 7 p.m. www.capitalastronomers.org . ● Nov. 13-15 – Carl Sagan Tribute Weekend at the David M. Brown Planetarium, 1426 N. Quincy St., Arlington, Md., with several events that include showing the “Cosmos” episode “The Edge of Forever” on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. (free admission) and the film “Contact” on Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. ($3 kids/seniors; $5, adults.) www. friendsoftheplanetarium.org. ● Nov. 14 – Astronomers from the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club join Sean O’Brien of the National Air and Space Museum to offer guided telescopic tours of the night sky at Sky Meadows State Park near Paris, Va. Parking $5. Arrive before dark. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Park phone: 540-592-3556. tinyurl.com/q92udac . ● Nov. 14 – “Understanding our Closest and Smallest Stellar Neighbors,” a talk by Sergio Dieterich of the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, at the regular meeting of the National Capital Astronomers, which meets at the University of Maryland Observatory, College Park. 7:30 p.m. www.capitalastronomers.org. ● Nov. 20 – “Searching for Cosmic Dark Matter with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope,” a talk by astronomer Alex Moiseev, at the University of Maryland Observatory, College Park. 8 p.m. Telescopic sky gazing afterward, weather permitting. www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse. ● Nov. 21 — “Falling into a Black Hole,” a presentation at the Montgomery College planetarium, Takoma Park, Md., 7 p.m. ow.ly/JEJ6V. Blaine Friedlander can be reached at postskywatch@gmail.com. |