Space

SKY MAPS & NOTES

Sitting high across the faint Milky Way at this time of year are three bright stars that form the Summer Triangle. (Yes, they are still visible as winter approaches!) The top-left star of the trio is Deneb, the leading star of Cygnus, the Swan. Off to its right is the brightest member, Vega in Lyra, the Harp. Finishing off the triangle lower down is Altair, the main star of Aquila, the Eagle. If your skies are light-polluted then you may not see the Milky Way, even though it really is there.

The November full Moon occurs as it travels closest to the Earth on its monthly orbit - making it one of the largest full Moons this year.

Mercury
This month sees Mercury's best apparition of the year. Look for this elusive world low in the south-east at around 6am. The bright star to the lower-right is Spica, the leading star of Virgo, the Maiden.

As the days go by, Mercury climbs a little away from the Sun's dawn and brightens as it does so. After the 8th the planet begins its inevitable journey back into the glare. Mercury is never really around for that long and I'll be surprised if you can catch it after the 23rd when it sits near Zubenelgenubi, the main star in Libra, the Scales.
Venus
While Mercury sits low and faint, Venus sparkles much further up in the morning sky. It begins the month in the constellation of Leo, the Lion, not too far from Saturn. However, like Mercury, Venus can move quite quickly too. On the 2nd it moves into Virgo, the Maiden where it spends the rest of the month closing in on Virgo's main star, Spica.

The waning crescent Moon is to the right of Venus on the 5th, making for a fine duet in the morning skies.
Mars
Mars will rise at around 8pm at the start of the month, and about 6pm by the end, which will make it more of an easy evening object. It’s also getting brighter over this time, so it should become more noticeable, as the planet sits virtually stationary in Gemini, the Twins.

The evening of the 26th provides a good example of the ever-present movements in the sky. You can see the waning gibbous Moon above right of Mars, but it moves gradually towards the planet. Take a look at 8pm in the east then a couple of times through the evening, and finally just before dawn to see the Moon directly above Mars in the west.

Jupiter
Jupiter is low in the south-west after sunset. It's not at its very best in brightness or position, and you can only catch it from 5pm until around 6pm in the middle of the month.

Next month Jupiter will disappear totally behind the Sun to reappear in the morning skies in 2008. The waxing crescent Moon is low and to the left of the planet on the evening of the 13th.

Saturn
The famous ringed-planet is up by around 1am, meaning it is easily seen high in the south-east by dawn sitting in Leo, the Lion. The waning crescent Moon is below Saturn on the morning of the 5th.

Saturn, Regulus (the main star of Leo, the Lion) and the waning gibbous Moon are nicely lined-up on the morning of the 30th.

Meteor Showers
November is the time of the famous Leonids shower. The peak on the night of the 17th and the morning of the 18th only has the first quarter Moon to contend with. This should be setting way in the west by late evening - that's the opposite part of the sky from where the meteors will appear.