THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
70 Falmouth Street Portland, Maine 04103
(207) 780-4249 usm.maine.edu/planet
43.6667° N 70.2667° W
Founded January 1970
2022-2023: XXXVI
Sunrise: 6:26 a.m.
Sunset: 4:23 p.m.
Civil twilight ends: 4;53 p.m.
Sun's host constellation: Libra the Scales
Moon phase: Waning Gibbous (99% illuminated)
Moonrise: 4:29 p.m.
Moonset: 7:42 a,m. (11/9/2022)
Julian date: 2459891.21
“Moonlight floods the whole sky from horizon to horizon;
How much it can fill your room depends on its windows.”
-Rumi
THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
November 2022 Night Sky Calendar Part III: Stars and Planets
PROMINENT EVENING STARS
Describing celestial body positions presents a particularly difficult
challenge to those who write about it. One must try to communicate
locations using degrees, directions and other night sky "landmarks" (a
funny term) in the hope that the reader will easily locate a given object
or objects. At times, as in mid autumn, the task is rendered easier
because one should be able to readily find the sky's most prominent
features.
First of all, as soon as darkness descends, look straight up and just over
to the west. There, in the zenith region, one will find the Summer
Triangle.
[image: c0295854-summer_triangle_in_the_milky_way_web.jpg]
So named as it remains visible throughout most of the night in the summer,
the Summer Triangle is actually easiest to find now. Again, simply look up
in the early evening. The three stars comprising it, Deneb, Vega and
Altair, seem as though they are adjacent to each other. This apparent
proximity is illusory, a result of the way our sky conceals depth. In fact,
immense tracts of interstellar space separate them. Altair is approximately
17 light years away. Vega's distance is 26 light years. Deneb, however, is
1000 times more distant: 2,612 light years away. Consequently, when one
observes these stars, one is seeing them as they were in the past. Tonight,
one sees Altair as it was in 2005. To look onto Vega is to see it as it was
in 1996. Deneb appears to us tonight as it was in the 6th century BCE,
around the time when Pythagoras of Samoa, the world-renowned mathematician
best known for the theorem that still bears his name.*
Dark-sky observers might detect the faintly luminescent band that appears
to flow through this triangle. That light is the "Milky Way," an edge on
view of our home galaxy. The name is somewhat misleading because every
single naked eye star is contained within our home galaxy. However, the
"Milky Way" defines the region of highest stellar density: where one finds
more stars per unit area than in any other sky region.
[image: Milky-Way-face-on-edge-on-NASA-S.jpg]
Remember as you admire the sky that we're all traveling through the galaxy
at 143 miles per second. Our solar system is located approximately 25,000
light years from the nucleus. As is true with the majority of stars, the
Sun is moving along the main disc, part of which we see when we look at the
Milky Way band. The stars located far from the band are either located
"north," or "south" of the galactic plane.
High in the eastern sky is the Summer Triangle one will find another simple
shape, the Great Square of Pegasus. The square represents the body of
Pegasus, the elegant winged horse who was born out of Medusa's blood and
eventually tamed by Bellerophon who rode on Pegasus' back when he slew the
Chimera. Pegasus is depicted as flying upside down, a reference to
Bellerophon's audacious attempt to fly Pegasus up to Olympus. The winged
horse prudently refused to ascend to such an exalted height and turned
herself over. This sudden inversion caused Bellerophon to plummet to his
death after a descent requiring seven days and seven nights.
[image: Perseus-Constellation-Family-1280x720.jpg]
Just to the north of Pegasus one will find Cassiopeia, a *circumpolar
constellation *resembling the letter "w." A circumpolar constellation is
one that doesn't set at our latitude. Cassiopeia represents an ancient
Ethiopian queen poised on her throne. Notorious for her appallingly
supercilious behaviour, Cassiopeia was hoisted up into the sky as a
punishment for she must suffer the indignity of hanging upside down for at
least half the night.
The last simple shape, the Big Dipper, begins the night resting on the
horizon. Even though it, too, is circumpolar,the Big Dipper might be hidden
from view by houses ,trees or other obstructions.
[image: e4035b780c8769feb021006774f5b840--ursa-major-big-dipper.jpg]
PLANET WATCH:
*MERCURY*
[Host constellation: Month's beginning - Libra the Scales; Month's end -
Ophiuchus the Serpent Charmer.]
Oh, November is not the best month for Mercury admirers. The
fleet-footed little world scoots behind the Sun on November 8th and will
only slowly emerge into the evening sky. *VERDICT:* Wait until December to
seek out Mercury.
*VENUS*
[Host constellation - Libra the Scales]
Well, heavens, this is certainly not the month for inferior worlds, is it?
Venus passed into superior solar conjunction on October 22nd and will
remain lost to view until the end of this year. This month, our gorgeous
sister world is nowhere to be found. *VERDICT*: Wait until late December
to find Venus. Note: Venus will become a dazzlingly bright evening sky
beacon throughout the late winter, spring and early summer.
*MARS*
[Host constellation: Taurus the Bull]
We have been waiting all year for Mars to brighten our evening skies and
now the fourth world glows brighter than Sirius and will brighten
throughout November as it approaches its December 8th opposition. Mars
rises by 7:55 p.m. at month's beginning and at 4:26 p.m at the end of
November. * VERDICT: * Venture outside in mid-evening to behold Mars!
Look for the bright orangish-red orb to the north of Orion
*JUPITER (pick planet!)*
[Host constellation: Pisces the Fish]
Although not as bright as it appeared in late September, Jupiter is still
brilliant (2.5 times brighter than Mars.) This giant world begins the
night high in the eastern sky. At month's beginning, it will set at 3:50
a.m. By the end of November, Jupiter will set just before 1:00 a.m. *VERDICT:
*Oh, it could hardly be easier. Go outside after dark and seek out the
brightest "star" in the eastern sky. You just can't miss!
*SATURN*
[Host constellation: Capricornus the Seagoat]
Poor Saturn is the dimmest of the naked-eye planets and will be setting
just after midnight at month's beginning and by 9:30 a.m. at end end of
November. *VERDICT:* Although dim compared to its planetary cohorts,
Saturn is still as bright as Aldebaran, the alpha star in Taurus the Bull.
Saturn will therefore appear to the the brightest "star" in
Capricornus. Seek it out in the western sky this month.
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