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Feature Article November 6

Feature Article November 6, 2002

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Four Bright Planets and a Possible Meteor Storm

The evening sky this month still features the rich star clouds of The Milky Way sweeping overhead, but they now appear to go from east to west, rather than in a north-to-south direction. Each time we view The Milky Way, we should recall that its light comes from the many millions of stars in our galaxy and that our sun is just one star in one great arm of this giant pinwheel-shaped Milky Way Galaxy, with over 200 billion stars.

One of the many interesting constellations to be seen this month is Pegasus, the great winged horse of ancient mythology. To most modern observers, it appears, not as a flying horse, but as a large square, or baseball diamond, standing on one corner high in the south-eastern sky. Stretching off from the left corner of this large square, a very distinct row of three bright stars forms the reclining body of the Princess Andromeda, who was saved by the hero Perseus, in another one of the ancient myths. Perseus himself is seen just to the left of Andromeda, and holding aloft the Gorgons head to slay the attacking monster, though to the modern observer, Perseus also looks like only a vertical row of bright stars. Slightly higher and to the left in the north-eastern sky are the two parents of Andromeda, Queen Cassiopeia (whose throned presence appears to us as only a large letter W), and beside her, King Cepheus (whose royal appearance probably looks more like a poorly drawn five-sided house standing upside down). Below Andromeda and well down in the south-eastern sky stretches the slain monster, the constellation Cetus, as though the horrid sight of the Gorgons head had just sent it sprawling to the ground. Careful observers this month may notice, on some nights, that the second brightest star in Perseus, the one that the ancients saw as the hideous head of Medusa, seems to remain alive by changing in brightness for several hours (and while doing so, seems to become the fourth or fifth brightest star in Perseus). Modern astronomers have identified it, not as having magical powers, but as one of the many variable stars that routinely change their brightness.

In the early evening, Saturn is the first of the bright planets to appear, as it rises in the east near the head of the great sprawling figure of Orion; this planet is brighter even than the stars Betelgeuse in Orions shoulder and Rigel in his knee. A little later, an even brighter planet, Jupiter, the solar systems largest planet, rises in the east amid the fainter stars of the constellation Cancer. It then dominates the whole eastern sky until an even more brilliant planet makes its appearance before sunrise. That is Venus, which is too close to the sun to be easily seen in the first week of November, but after that it rises about an hour before sunrise. By months end, it may be seen for three hours in the east before sunrise, and because of its amazing brilliance, it may be followed even after sunrise. During the entire month, fainter Mars may also be seen low in the east for about three hours before sunrise. In the last half of the month, Venus moves a bit closer each morning to this reddish planet which is also not far from Spica, the bright star in the constellation Virgo.

During the night hours of November 21 watch the moon move in relation to the nearby planet Saturn, and try doing the same thing on the night of November 25 when the moon is beside Jupiter. In the early morning hours of November 30, watch the waning lunar crescent above Venus, Mars and the star Spica low in the eastern sky.

On the night of November 19, there is a chance to see a lunar eclipse when the Full Moon moves into the earths penumbra (or outer partial shadow). Do not expect this to be like a total lunar eclipse when the moon moves into the earths main central shadow. However, a slightly dark shading in the upper part of the lunar disk should be noticeable for up to a half hour both before and after mid-eclipse at 8:46 p.m. Give it a try, to see if you can detect it!

What may happen the night before the eclipse is even more interesting!! The Leonid Meteor Shower will reach its annual peak on the night of the November 18 and early morning of the 19th. Predictions are that this event should be even better than it was last year. (At the peak of that shower, I recorded seeing 328 shooting stars in a single hour!! Probably the best one I have ever seen!) In spite of the moonlight, many observers will be watching carefully all night in anticipation of a meteor storm, with some experts predicting an enormous burst of activity at about 11 p.m. and another one between 5 and 6 a.m.! This is the last such meteor storm predicted for many, many years; so, try not to miss it!!

Remember to glance to the north during each observing session to check for hints of auroral activity. A bright glow early in the evening can later develop into a grand and spectacular display, such as has happened several times in recent months.

For more information, see The Beginners Observing Guide, now available at The Sharbot Lake Pharmacy. I would be interested in hearing both from those who detect the lunar eclipse and from those who see large numbers of Leonid Meteors. Clear skies!

With the participation of the Government of Canada