Society News and Night Sky Notes – November 2000

Society News Headlines

  • Nov 2nd – Harlow Shapley’s 115th Birthday (1885).
  • Nov 3rd – Moon at Appogee.
  • Nov 3rd – Open night at LAS Pex Hill Observatory (7-9pm).
  • Nov 3rd – Taurids Meteor Shower at Maximum.
  • Nov 3rd – Neptune is 1.6° North of Moon.
  • Nov 4th – Uranus is 1.8° North of Moon.
  • Nov 7th – Mercury Stationary.
  • Nov 12th – Saturn 1.6° North of Moon.
  • Nov 12th – 20th Anniversary (1980) Voyager 1 flyby of Saturn.
  • Nov 13th – Jupiter 2° North of Moon.
  • Nov 14th – Moon at Perigee.
  • Nov 15th – Mercury at Greatest Enlongation West 19°.Morning Sky.
  • Nov 17th – Leonids Meteor Shower at Maximum.
  • Nov 17th – LAS Monthly Meeting at RC Catheral Crypt 7-9pm. (Speaker Dr Allan Chapman).
  • Nov 19th – Saturn at Opposition.
  • Nov 21st – Mars 4° South of Moon
  • Nov 21st – Comet Wolf at Perihelion (2.4AU)
  • Nov 21st – Ceres in conjunction with the Sun.
  • Nov 24th – Mercury 3° South of Moon.
  • Nov 24th – Comet C/1999 T2 (Linear) at perihelion (3.0AU)
  • Nov 29th – Venus 2° South of Moon.
  • Nov 29th – BAA Ordinary Meeting 17:30pm at Savile Row London.
  • Nov 30th – Neptune 1.8° North of Moon.
  • Nov 30th – Planned launch date for STS-97 Endeavour Space Shuttle Mission – ISS mission 04-4A.

THE NIGHT SKY DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2000

Will it be cloudy to-night?, ask the The U.K. Goverment Met Office Weather service. To make your own star chart fo your location at any time, Click Here.

The Sun and Moon

All times are in GMT the same as U.T. For Observer in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, U.K.

Latitude 53 degs 24 mins North.
Longitude +3.0 degs West.

            1st       6th       11th      16th      21st      26th     1st Dec
SUNRISE    07:11     07:20     07:30     07:39     07:48     07:57      08:05
SUNSET     16:40     16:30     16:22     16:14     16:07     16:02      15:58
PHASES OF THE MOON DURING NOVEMBER 2000
NEW MOON
on 25th
at 23h:12m		 FIRST QUARTER
on 4th
at 07h:28m		 FULL MOON
on 11th
at 21h:16m		 LAST QUARTER
on 18th
at 15h:26m

THE PLANETS THIS MONTH.

MERCURY.

Mercury is perfectly placed in the morning sky this month lying at an altitude of just 10° mid-month at the time of civil twilight. This table shows the planet’s apparition and also details where the Moon lies when near by.

VENUS.

Venus should by now be easily found in the South West about 45 minutes after Sunset. Even when the Sky is bright the planet’s brilliance us such that it may be visible shortly after Sunset at a higher altitude. This month Venus passes through the constellation of Sagittarius and as this is a dense region of the sky Venus has a few instances of stellar conjunctions whilst the Moon makes a pass on the 29th when the two bodies will lie 1.5° apart.

MARS.

Mars is now in Virgo. On the 11th the naked-eye star Mu Virginis lies a mere 8′ to the North of Mars. This will be visible in the field of a telescope and binoculars will offer a wider view of the conjunction. On the 21st at 21h:00m Mars is 5° South of the moon.

MARSWATCH – latest observations of the red planet.

ASTEROIDS.

  • 324 Bamberga is at opposition on November 15th at Mag 9.4 in the Orion/Taurus region.
  • 4 Vesta is at Mag 7.6 in Cap but is now becoming differcult to see.
  • 3 Juno is at Mag 9.7 in Aqr.

For More information on Asteroids Click Here.

JUPITER.

Jupiter is at opposition on the 28th and is therefore at its brightest and largest. Compare the apparent size of its 48″ diameter with Mars’ puny 4.3″ and you will see why Mars can be a disappointment whilst Jupiter and Saturn are “must sees” for an observer with a small telescope. The Moon passes 3° South of Jupiter on the 13th.

Launched in October 1989, the Galileo Jupiter Probe entered orbit around the great planet on December 7th 1995. The Project Galileo Homepage will give you up-to-date information and the very latest images returned.

SATURN.

Both Saturn and Jupiter have started to move from left to right against the background stars. This “retrograde motion” always happens at the time of opposition of an outer planet. Saturn reaches opposition also this month on the 19th. On the 12th Saturn is 2° North of the Moon.

URANUS and NEPTUNE.

Both are now less than 90° away from the Sun, and must be considered as unfavorable for observations at this time.

PLUTO.

Pluto is in close conjunction with the Sun and will be out of view for several months.

METEORS.

COMETS.

  • November 21st 14P/Comet Wolf at Perihelion (2.413AU)
  • November 24th Comet C/1999 T2 (Linear) at Perihelion (3.037AU)

Plus these pages will give daily and weekly reports of this and other Comets progress.

OCCULTATIONS.

  • Nov 13th at 02hr:55m Reappearance of Delta 1 Tauri Mag 3.8
  • Nov 13th at 04hr:25m Reappearance of Delta 2 Tauri Mag 4.3
  • Nov 16th at 01hr:40m Reappearance of 63 Geminorum Mag 5.2
  • Nov 18th at 06hr:03m Reappearance of 8 Leonis Mag 5.7

Related posts:

  1. Society News and Night Sky Notes – November 2001
  2. Society News and Night Sky Notes – November 1999
  3. Society News and Night Sky Notes – October 2001
  4. Society News and Night Sky Notes – November 1998
  5. Society News and Night Sky Notes – May 1999
  6. Society News and Night Sky Notes – October 1999
  7. Society News and Night Sky Notes – July 2001
  8. Society News and Night Sky Notes – August 2000
  9. Society News and Night Sky Notes – January 2000
  10. Society News and Night Sky Notes – October 2000