The NASA-ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft captured this extreme ultraviolet wavelength image of the Sun on February 24, 2015, during a three-hour period in which our closest star blew out a coronal mass ejection along with part of a solar filament. While some of the strands fell back into the Sun, a substantial part raced into space in a bright cloud of particles. Image: NASA.
The Stars of Autumn, Planets, Meteors, and More for November Star Gazers
BY JONATHAN TRUAX, ASTRONOMER, MUSKEGON COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S CARR-FLES PLANETARIUM
November can be a difficult month for star gazing.
Nights in November are frequently cloudy here in Michigan, yet the clear nights offer a chance to enjoy the stars of autumn, as well as a preview of some of the best stars of winter. Sky watchers will also have opportunities to enjoy three naked eye planets this month, observe a meteor shower, and follow the moon’s journey near some bright stars.
About 30 minutes before sunrise, sky watchers can locate the brilliant planet Venus very low in the southeast near the horizon. The waning crescent moon will be near Venus on the mornings of November 17 and 18.
This month Saturn is a bright evening “star” seen in the south southeast among the stars of Pisces about an hour after sunset. The waxing gibbous moon is near Saturn the nights of November 1, and then again on the 28th and 29th.
During November, Jupiter rises in the northeast around 10:30 p.m. local time. Jupiter is currently among the stars of Gemini the Twins near the two stars Castor and Pollux. Look for a brilliant white “star.” The waning gibbous moon will be very close to Jupiter on the nights of November 9 and 10.
The Leonid meteor shower reaches peak activity during the early morning hours of November 17 and 18. Normally sky watchers can enjoy at least 25 meteors per hour coming from Leo. Meteors will appear in any direction of the sky, but their paths will trace back to Leo. The best time to view the show is between midnight and dawn.
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. November 4 through December 11 (closed November 27), a modern retelling of the Christmas story investigates the sky signs that declared the birth of Jesus Christ and caused the Wise Men to travel across the desert from Babylon to Bethlehem at the Carr Fles Planetarium show “Mystery of the Christmas Star.”
As darkness falls after sunset during November, the “Summer Triangle” made of the three bright stars Vega, Altair, and Deneb is high in the west. Low in the west, orange Arcturus, brightest star of summer, is still visible.
Looking low on the north horizon, locate the “Big Dipper” formed by the stars of Ursa Major. High in the north, locate the “W” formed by the stars of Cassiopeia. In the northeast, try to find the bright yellow star Capella of Auriga, the charioteer.
The winter constellation of Taurus can be seen rising low on the east horizon. This month’s Full moon on November 5 will be very near the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus. Over the next two nights the moon will move past the Hyades and the bright orange star Aldebaran in Taurus.
Looking low in the south, locate the bright white star Fomalhaut, of Piscis Austrinus, the only bright star in the south.
About three hours after sunset, the bright constellation of Orion is rising in the east. Look for three bright stars in a row, with two other bright stars above and below. The three stars are the famous “belt” of Orion. Above or northeast of the “belt” is orange-red Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star. The bright blue star below the “belt” is Rigel.
Visit the MCC Carr-Fles Planetarium website for upcoming events and call (231) 777-0289 for sky show information. Carr-Fles Planetarium is located on the Muskegon Community College campus in Room 135. Thanks to the generosity of the Reach for the Stars campaign donors, you can now experience Carr-Fles Planetarium with state-of-the-art digital projection, sound and lighting systems; all-new library of shows; and modern theater seating and domed ceiling.
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