Eyes on the Sky Update
Monday, Nov. 20 through Sunday, Nov. 26
Monday, Nov. 20 – First Quarter Moon occurred this morning at 5:49 a.m. and will be in the south-southeast during evening twilight. At this time, the moon will be to the lower left of Saturn. (The star-like appearance of Saturn might be washed out by the brilliance of the moon.) The moon sets this night in the west-southwest just before midnight.
Tuesday, Nov. 21 – The waxing crescent moon appears to the lower right of the planet Neptune. This outer solar system object is about 200 times further away than the moon and requires a telescope to be seen. Tonight, the moon is approximately a 100 million times brighter than Neptune.
Wednesday, Nov. 22 – The intense light of Venus becomes visible during the night as this planet rises over the eastern horizon just after 3 a.m. During the early evening the brilliant light of Jupiter becomes visible in the east less than an hour after the sun sets.
Thursday, Nov. 23 – Jupiter’s intense light is shining from about one-third of the way up the sky in the east around 6 p.m. An hour later, Saturn is about a third of the way up the sky in the south-southwest.
Friday, Nov. 24 – Jupiter will be found tonight to the lower left of the 93% illuminated gibbous moon. The pair is visible in the east-southeast at 6 p.m. and in the southeast at 8 p.m. By 10 p.m., the pair is in the south and Jupiter is now directly to the left of the moon.
Saturday, Nov. 25 – Orion, in its entirety, has climbed over the eastern horizon by 8 p.m. while Sirius, the marker star of Canis Major (the Big Dog) and the brightest star of the night sky, rises just before 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 26 – The moon, less than a day before full, shines adjacent to the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus. Binoculars will help you see the stars of this cluster within the glare of the moon.
Editor’s Note: Richard Monda, assistant professor of Physics and Astronomy in the Biology, Chemistry and Physics Department, publishes updates to his HVCC Eyes on the Sky, a YouTube video series, each week.