What’s Up in the Night Sky – November 2011

Fred Barrett | Nov 03, 2011

By Fred Barrett

Let’s talk aurora borealis this month! I’m sure some of you have seen recent displays of these spectacular rippling curtains of light in the sky. We are in the midst of what is called a Solar maximum. During a Solar maximum the Sun has a much greater number of sunspots on its surface than usual. Sunspots are created when magnetic fields leave and enter the surface of the Sun. At these points the magnetic fields interfere with the flow of energy coming out of the Sun and this lowers the surface temperature, causing the surface at these areas to appear darker than the surrounding areas. As the Sun rotates it twists and distorts the magnetic fields and they reach a point where they finally snap. A huge explosion called a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) occurs. This explosion sends huge quantities of material out into space at speeds as fast as a million miles an hour. When this explosion is sent in Earth’s direction, Earth’s magnetic field captures the material and directs it down to the north and south poles. The material interacts with the Earth’s atmosphere, causing photons or light to be released. The Sun has an 11-year sunspot cycle.

During sunspot maximum the Sun’s north and south poles flip positions but don’t worry, this doesn’t affect Earth. The Sun has been doing this for 5 billion years and we are still here! Bundle up and get out on the next clear night and have a look to the northeast for some eye candy excitement in the sky! No binoculars or telescope needed.

You still have a chance to see the zodiacal light in the early hours before sunrise in the east in the early days of this month. You may remember from previous columns that this light is reflected light from dusty particles in the plane of the solar system. It appears as a cone of brightness rising from the horizon.

Don’t forget that daylight savings time ends at 2 a.m. on November 6. Set your clocks back one hour!

An Earth crossing asteroid, 2005 YU55, will be passing closer than the moon on November 8. It’s about 400 meters in size and if it hit Earth, it would be equivalent to more than 50 times the size of the largest hydrogen bomb ever set off! Orbital predictions show that, at least for the next hundred years, it won’t hit us. Comforting thought I guess…

Jupiter is prominent in the sky from early evening in the east until it sets in the west at dawn. Don’t miss it! It’s the brightest object in the sky. Get your binoculars out and watch the dance of its brightest moons as the month progresses!

This month’s full moon on the 10th is called the Beaver moon. It’s the time of year to get your beaver traps set before pond waters freeze over. It’s called the full frost moon too.

On the 11th, the Pleiades appear above a bright moon and, just below, you will see the Hyades and the bright red star Aldebaran. Well worth the time to go out and have a look.

On the evening of the 17th and early morning 18th, the Leonid meteor shower peaks. It will be a weak shower this year complicated by a bright moon but there are always surprises that make going out well worth the effort. It can be viewed in all directions in the sky. Dress warmly though; when you're standing still gazing up at the night sky, it doesn't take long for the autumn cold to creep in. By the way, if you happen to be in Tasmania or visiting the Antarctic, you can view a partial eclipse of the Sun on the 24th. I’ll be missing this one.

Watch for a thin crescent moon about 4 degrees (clenched fist at arms length is 10 degrees) to the right of Venus on the 26th. It should be a beautiful sight! No binoculars or telescope needed!

SkyNews, our Canadian astronomy magazine, marks its 100th issue this month. As well as including a centre section sky chart, this issue includes a calendar with events to watch for in 2012. I count on it for planning my observing each month. A subscription for “SkyNews” can be arranged at the RASC website www.rasc.ca. “The Beginner’s Observing Guide” by Leo Enright is an invaluable companion for adventures in the sky. It contains star charts and is available at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy.

Let me know how your observing has gone this month, especially anything unusual. I enjoy the feedback. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can contact me through this paper or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Clear Skies!

If you have questions or suggestions, Fred Barrett may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Beginner’s Observer’s Guide by Leo Enright is available at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy or by contacting the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada www.rasc.ca/publications, subscriptions for our very own excellent Canadian astronomy magazine, Sky News, are also available from RASC..