Scobee Planetarium at San Antonio College

San Antonio Celestial Sights for November, 2009

November Sun – The Days Grow Shorter

Ah, the crisp, clear skies of autumn! San Antonio’s best stargazing season is here. Temperatures continue to cool, and they should because our star is spending less time above the daytime horizon. We begin the month with a clock change! On November 1st we “fall back” one hour as the shift is made to Central Standard Time. Sunrise on November 1st occurs at 6:46am, sets at 5:48pm, and spends a total of 11 hours and 2 minutes above the horizon. On November 30th, the Sun clears the southeastern horizon at 7:09am, sets at 5:35pm, and spends only 10 hours and 26 minutes in the sky. That’s a net decrease of 36 minutes of possible sunshine!

Not only does the Sun spend less time in our sky, its maximum height above the horizon continues to drop. The Sun’s maximum height above the southern horizon at “solar noon” on November 1st is about 45 degrees. By the end of the month that figure decreases to 38 degrees. Remember that figure represents angle of measurement, not degrees of temperature. The combination of shorter time in our sky and a lower sun angle can mean only one thing - cooler days and cooler nights!

November Moon

Our lunar companion begins November in the evening sky almost at full phase. While the Moon appears full on November 1st, the actual full Moon takes place on the night of November 2nd. With October having the garnered the “Harvest Moon,” traditionally, the Full Moon following the "Harvest Moon" is known as the "Hunter's Moon." According to folklore, having been cleared of the harvest, the fields are now opened to animals in search of forage. However, November's full phase is usually known as the "Frosty Moon." So, what to call November 2nd's full Moon? Let's make it the best of both traditions and call it the "Frosty Hunter's Moon!" The following night, November 3rd, finds our lunar companion very near the Pleiades star cluster. Brilliant moonlight may make detection of this lovely cluster somewhat difficult, but binoculars may assist. By November 6th, the Moon has moved eastward into the center of Gemini and rises at 9:00pm. November 9th finds the Moon reaching Last Quarter phase and having a rendezvous with the red planet Mars. Both the Moon and Mars rise together at about 11:00pm. November 10th, the Moon rises with Regulus, brightest star of Leo the Lion. The early morning skies of November 12th feature a thin crescent Moon to the right of the planet Saturn. Plus, just prior to sunrise on November 15th, an extremely thin lunar crescent shines alongside Venus. This pairing of Moon and planet takes place very near the southeastern horizon. The Moon reaches New phase on November 16th as it passes invisibly between the Earth and the Sun.

Our lunar companion returns to the evening skies of November by the 18th, although some may have to wait until the following evening to catch a razor-thin lunar crescent just above the southwestern horizon. Moving towards the east with each passing evening, a very lovely view of the Moon hovering above the Moon happens after sunset on November 23rd. The next night, the Moon reaches First Quarter phase in the constellation of Aquarius. Gliding eastward through the constellations of the autumn sky, the nearly full Moon again makes another appearance with the Pleiades star cluster on the last night of the month.

November Moon Phases

Nov. 2nd – Full Moon Nov. 9th – Last Quarter Moon
Nov. 16th – New Moon Nov. 24th – First Quarter Moon

November Evening and Late Night Planets

Jupiter – The giant planet of the solar system dominates the southern horizon following a November sunset. Situated among the stars of Capricornus, the Sea-Goat, brilliant Jupiter is the brightest evening planet we have. Look for the nearly First Quarter Moon next to Jupiter on the evening of November 23rd. A pair of binoculars easily reveals Jupiter’s four brightest moons. Jupiter sets in the west near midnight.

Mars, red planet, rises near 11:00pm amidst the stars of Cancer the Crab. In fact, on November 1st and 2nd, Mars is situated within the “Beehive” star cluster in Cancer. Look for Mars and the Last Quarter Moon alongside one another during the late night hours of the 9th and prior to sunrise on the 10th. Although telescopically still quite small, a medium sized telescope and good viewing conditions might just begin to reveal some surface details on the planet.

November Early Morning Planets

Saturn, the planet with the brightest rings, rises at about 3:00am at the beginning of November. Situated near the western border of Virgo, the Maiden, the yellow-white sparkle of Saturn appears to the left of the thin crescent Moon prior to sunrise on November 12th. No longer edge-on, the rings of Saturn are beginning to tilt back into visibility.

Venus, the brightest of all planets, hovers just above the predawn horizon all month long. Rising only an hour now before the Sun, Venus has begun a slow, gradual descent back toward the solar glow. Look for the Moon visiting Venus prior to sunrise on November 15th. Next month, Venus may prove too near the Sun for detection.

Mercury, nearest world to the Sun, is too near our star’s all-consuming glare and is lost from view all month long.

November Meteor Showers

A pair of meteor showers highlights the November skies. The first, the Taurid meteor shower, reaches peak activity on November 4th and 5th. Although not very numerous, typical Taurids can be bright and produce long streaks across the night sky. The Moon offers little interference.

The second display, the Leonid meteor shower, peaks on the nights of November 17th and 18th. Observers might have seen 15 to 25 meteors per hour. The Moon offers little interference. Remember, only the brightest meteors may be seen from the light-polluted skies of a city. A trip to the darker skies of the country is always best for meteor watching.