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November 2009 Astronomical Calendar

Dave Mitsky

Note: All times in UTC (EST + 5)

The famous astronomers Edmund Halley, William Herschel, Harlow Shapley, and Edwin Hubble were all born in November.

The first photograph of a meteor was taken in November of 1885. The Leonid meteor shower may be more active than normal this month, with a possible outburst taking place after the shower's traditional peak. An enhanced rate of more than 100 meteors per hour may occur around 22:00 UT on November 17, favoring observers in Asia.

The Moon is 13.8 days old and resides in Pisces on November 1 at 0:00 UT. The Moon occults the 3.6-magnitude star Atlas of the Pleiades on the morning of November 3. Browse http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/ for additional information on these occultations. The Lunar X occurs on November 24 at approximately 358 degrees co-longitude and the Curtiss Cross on November 10 at approximately 194 degrees co-longitude. The Moon reaches its greatest northern declination on November 5 (+25.8 degrees) and its greatest southern declination on November 18 (-25.8 degrees). Longitudinal libration is at a maximum of +5.2 degrees on November 15 and a minimum of -6.2 degrees on November 28. Latitudinal libration is at a maximum of +6.6 degrees on November 14 and a minimum of -6.7 degrees on November 28. Visit http://www.astronomyblogs.com/member/saberscorpx/?xjMsgID=50821 for tips on spotting extreme crescent Moons. Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm

The Sun is located in Libra on November 1 at 0:00 UT.

Brightness, apparent size, illumination, distance from the Earth in astronomical units, and location data for the planets and Pluto on November 1: Mercury (-1.4 magnitude, 4.7", 100% illuminated, 1.42 a.u., Virgo), Venus (-3.9 magnitude, 10.4", 95% illuminated, 1.60 a.u., Virgo), Mars (0.4 magnitude, 7.9", 89% illuminated, 1.18 a.u., Cancer), Jupiter (-2.4 magnitude, 41.4", 99% illuminated, 4.77 a.u., Capricornus), Saturn (1.1 magnitude, 16.3", 100% illuminated, 10.21 a.u., Virgo), Uranus (5.8 magnitude, 3.6", 100% illuminated, 19.60 a.u., Aquarius), Neptune (7.9 magnitude, 2.3", 100% illuminated, 30.01 a.u., Capricornus), and Pluto (14.1 magnitude, 0.1", 100% illuminated, 32.51 a.u., Sagittarius).

Mercury and Uranus lie in the southwest and Jupiter in the south in the evening sky. Mars can be found in the east and Uranus in the west at midnight. In the morning, Venus is located in the east, Mars in the south, and Saturn in the southeast. At the end of the month, Mercury is visible in evening twilight. Venus rises at 6:00 a.m. EST, Mars rises at 10:00 p.m. EST and culminates at 5:00 a.m. EST, Jupiter culminates at 6:00 p.m. EST and sets at 11:00 p.m. EST, and Saturn rises at 2:00 a.m. EST at midmonth.

Mercury is in superior conjunction with the Sun on November 5 and is not visible again until the final days of the November.

Brilliant Venus rises an hour and a half before the Sun on November 1 but only an hour before sunrise by the end of November. Venus is just ten degrees from the Sun on November 30. Venus is approximately three and a half degrees from the first-magnitude star Spica on the mornings of November 3 and 4.

Mars passes southeastward through M44 on the nights of November 1 and 2. It is very near the center of the open cluster on November 1 prior to sunrise. Mars is three degrees north of the Moon on the morning of November 9. The Red Planet rises shortly before midnight at the start of the month. By the end of November, it shines at 0.0 magnitude, subtends 10 arc seconds, and rises by 9:30 p.m. EST. Surface features that are well-placed for observing in late November include Solis Lacus (the Eye of Mars) and Mare Acidalium.

Jupiter is only about one third of a degree north of the fourth-magnitude star Iota Capricorni from November 1 through November 3. On November 23, Jupiter is four degrees south of the waxing Moon, which may expedite a naked-eye daytime sighting. Browse http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_107_1.asp to determine transits of the central meridian by the Great Red Spot. Data on the Galilean satellites is available at http://skytonight.com/observing/objects/javascript/3307071.html#

Saturn rises before 4:00 a.m. in early November. It is positioned about 40 degrees above the horizon at civil twilight on November 15. On November 1, Saturn's rings are tilted by 3.1 degrees. At mid-month, the inclination angle is 3.8 degrees. The angle increases to 4.3 degrees by November 30. Eighth-magnitude Titan is close to Saturn on the mornings of November 7, 15, and 23. Saturn's peculiar satellite Iapetus, which varies in brightness by a magnitude, brightens this month as it moves from east to west of the Ringed Planet. On November 11, Iapetus shines at eleventh-magnitude as it passes close to a tenth-magnitude star. For further information on the satellites of Saturn, browse http://skytonight.com/observing/objects/javascript/3308506.html

Uranus can be found six degrees south-southwest of the fifth-magnitude star Lambda Piscium and a bit more than two degrees south of the sixth-magnitude star 14 Piscium.

Neptune is located north of the third-magnitude star Delta Capricorni, forming a triangle with the stars 42 and 44 Capricorni. See page 64 of the October 2009 issue of Astronomy for a finder chart.

Finder charts for Uranus and Neptune appear on page 59 of the September 2009 issue of Sky & Telescope and are posted online at http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/41561382.html

The dwarf planet Pluto is located a little more than a degree to the northeast of the tenth-magnitude open cluster NGC 6507 in the northwestern portion of Sagittarius but sets too early to be a viable target again until next year.

Asteroid 3 Juno drops in magnitude from 8.2 to 8.8 as it travels through the constellation of Aquarius. A finder chart appears on page 59 of the September 2009 issue of Sky & Telescope. Asteroid 18 Melpomene (magnitude 8.6) glides northward through Cetus this month. Asteroids reaching opposition this month include 51 Nemausa (magnitude 10.6), 346 Hermentaria (magnitude 10.5), and 712 Boliviana (magnitude 10.5). Asteroid 234 Barbara will occult HIP 34106, a seventh-magnitude star in Monoceros, at approximately 10:38:30 p.m. EST on November 20. The occultation will be visible from northern Europe, southern England, and central Florida. For additional information, see http://www.scottysmightymini.com/PR/234_Barbara_CallForObservers.htm

During November, Comet C/2007 Q3 (Siding Spring) travels northeastward through Virgo. It passes very close to the tenth-magnitude spiral galaxy NGC 4216 on the morning of November 15. During the remainder of the month, the tenth-magnitude comet passes south of M99 and north of M84, M86, M88, and M91.

Two stars that have exoplanetary systems, Upsilon Andromedae (magnitude 4.1) and 51 Andromedae (magnitude 5.5), can be seen this month without optical aid under dark skies.

Binary and Multiple Stars for November

Otto Struve 514, Alpha Andromedae (Alpheratz), Struve 3, h1947, Struve 19, Struve 24, 26 Andromedae, Struve 40, Pi Andromedae, Delta Andromedae, Struve 47, Eta Andromedae, Struve 79, Beta Andromedae (Mirach), Struve 108, Struve 179, South 404 (Andromeda); 1 Arietis, Struve 178, Gamma Arietis, Lambda Arietis (Mesarthim) (Aries); Struve 3053, Struve 3057, Struve 16, Struve 30, Otto Struve 16, Alpha Cassiopeiae (Schedar), Struve 59, Eta Cassiopeiae, Burnham 1, Struve 70, Otto Struve 23, h1088, Struve 163, Struve 170, Struve 182 (Cassiopeia); 34 Piscium, Struve 8, 35 Piscium, Struve 15, 38 Piscium, 42 Piscium, 49 Piscium, 51 Piscium, 55 Piscium, 65 Piscium, Psi Piscium, Otto Struve 22, Struve 98, Otto Struve 26, Phi Piscium, Zeta Piscium, h636, Otto Struve 30, Struve 122, Struve 132, Otto Struve 31, 100 Piscium, Struve 145, 107 Piscium, h644 (Pisces); h5440, Kappa-1 Sculptoris, h1949, h3442, h3379, Tau Sculptoris, Epsilon Sculptoris (Sculptor); Struve 143, Struve 183 (Triangulum)

Challenge binary star for November: 36 Andromedae

Notable carbon star for November: Z Piscium

Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for November: M31, M33, M103, NGC 225, NGC 288, NGC 253, NGC 457, NGC 654, NGC 663, NGC 752

Top ten deep-sky objects for November: M31, M32, M33, M76, M103, M110, NGC 40, NGC 253, NGC 457, NGC 752

Challenge deep-sky object for November: IC 59 (Cassiopeia)

The objects listed above are located between 0:00 and 2:00 hours of right ascension.