Fred Barrett | Nov 08, 2012


I thought that a tour of The Great Square of Pegasus and a few observing challenges would be interesting this month.

Pegasus can be found during November high in the south just below the zenith. If you go out between 8 and 9 pm you should have no trouble finding it. It covers over 1100 square degrees and is one of the largest constellations in the sky! The four stars that mark its corners are, naming clockwise from the top left corner, Alpheratz, Scheat, Markab and Algenib. Alpheratz is considered part of the constellation Andromeda, which looks like a V that rises at a diagonal up and to the left of Pegasus. Half way up the constellation Andromeda and to the right about 5 degrees you will find the galaxy Andromeda. It’s a beautiful sight! If you look to the left an equal distance, you will see the spiral galaxy M33. It is actually in the constellation Triangulum. They can both be made out with the naked eye on a nice clear night. They are quite easy to find with binoculars.

Three of Pegasus’s corner stars, Alpheratz, Markab and Algenib, are white but Scheat is orange. It is about 176 light years away and a variable star that is 300 times more luminous than our Sun.

Half way between Scheat and Markab and outside the square a few degrees to the right is the star 51 Pegasi. It is about 42 light years away and its luminosity is about equal to the Sun. It is believed that there is a planet about half the size of Jupiter orbiting this star with a revolution period of 4.2 days. That means it is quite close to the star and likely to have a surface temperature near 1000 degrees Celsius.

If you follow a line going from Algenib through Markab and continue on about 1 ½ the distance between those stars you will find the Galaxy M15. It is close to naked eye visibility and prominent with binoculars. Above Scheat about 10 degrees and at an angle to the right is the barred spiral galaxy NGC 7331. It is faint and difficult to make out with binoculars but if you’re careful, you can find it. There are a number of Red stars within and just outside Pegasus. Do a little star hunting and see if you can find them.

This month on November 17th we have the Leonid meteor shower. It peaks just before dawn on this date. It is usually a weak shower with about 20 meteors per hour on average. There is no Moon, which will make it easier to make out the meteors. I plan on going out on the evening of November 16th to see if there are any pre-peak period meteors. Remember that meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. The name of the shower only indicates the constellation from which they appear to be coming.

Where are the planets this month? Mars is around 10 degrees up in the southwest after sunset. Remember that 10 degrees is about a fist width. It is dim but with binoculars easy to find. Note that the Teapot of Sagittarius can be made out to the left of Mars for much of the month. Just swing your binoculars to that side for a nice view.

Jupiter comes up in the east about 2 hours after sunset in early November. By month’s end it will already be up by twilight. It will climb higher as the night progresses and will be viewable for most of the night. As well, its brightness increases as it approaches opposition on December 2nd.

Look east-southeast about 2 or so hours before sunrise in early November and you will see Venus rise above the horizon. It will rise later as the month progresses. Watch for the star Spica below Venus. By the 17th, Venus passes less than 5 degrees to the upper left of Spica. The crescent Moon passes by Venus on the right between November 10th and 12th an hour before sunrise.

Saturn rises this month and presents a clear view by mid month in the east-southeast an hour before sunrise. At dawn on the 26th, Saturn and Venus will be separated by less than a degree – quite a sight. Mercury will be below and to the left of Venus and Saturn on that morning. See if you can make it out with binoculars. Follow all the planets from night to night and watch their shifting positions.

The full Moon this month is on the 28th. It is called the Full Beaver Moon. Beaver traps were set at this time of year while the beavers were active and preparing for winter and before the swamps froze. A good supply of furs made for a cozy winter. Sometimes this full Moon is referred to as the Frosty Moon or Snow Moon. On the 28th, the full Moon passes very close to the right of Jupiter about an hour after sunset. This can be seen low in the east-northeast.

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..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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