Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday November 13th, and 14th, 2023
This is the Dudley Observatory’s Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday November 13th, and 14th, written by Joe Slomka.
Sun sets at 4:34 PM; night falls at 6:12. Dawn begins at 5:08 AM and ends with Sun rising at 6:46.
Monday’s New Moon rises in western Libra at 7:05 AM, and sets at 4:32 PM; note that the Moon is not visible tonight, because it is hidden by the Sun. Tuesday finds the Moon in Scorpius, rising at 8:17 AM and setting at 5:09 PM. Tuesday the very young southwestern Moon lies about 4° below Mercury along with Antares; all can be found about 25 minutes before Sunset, very close to the horizon; the Moon will occult (eclipse) Antares at the same time.
Southern Saturn continues to be the first visible planet. It is already well up by 7 PM, shining with zero magnitude, 17 arc-seconds in size, at 6:36 PM 34° high and sets at 11:46 PM. Neptune follows 25° behind Saturn, also up at 7 PM, it shines with 7th magnitude, 2 arc-seconds, 42° highest at 8:06 PM and sets at 1:57 AM.
Giant Jupiter shares eastern Aries, rising at 4:02 PM, glimmering with minus 2nd magnitude, 49 arc-seconds, 32° at 7 PM, 59° highest at 11:51 and sets at 5:44 AM. Monday’s telescopic observers can witness the moon Io begin crossing the planet at 7:05 PM and ends at 9:32 PM. Tuesday, moon Ganymede begins an occultation (eclipse) at 1:55 AM, concluding at 4:40. Also on Tuesday, the Great Red Spot (a giant storm) begins its trek at 11:21 PM. Uranus rises during Twilight, glowing with 5th magnitude, 3 arc-seconds, 27° at 7 PM, 64° highest at 11:37 PM and sets at 6:48 AM. Monday sees Uranus in Opposition, a prime time to observe this distant member of our Solar System.
Southeastern Venus rises in Virgo at 2:50 AM, blazing with minus 4th magnitude, 20 arc-seconds, 60% illuminated, 31° high at 6 PM and sets at 2:45 PM.
By midnight, all the constellations that comprise the Andromeda saga are visible. Queen Cassiopeia angered some gods and Ethiopia was subjected to severe calamities. An oracle told King Cepheus that disasters would end if he chained daughter Andromeda to a seaside rock to be eaten by the sea monster Cetus. Perseus was returning from a mission to kill the Medusa, a woman so hideous that her visage turned people to stone. One version of the myth has Perseus returning by his horse Pegasus. He hears Andromeda’s cry for help. The parents, nearby, promise her hand in marriage if he saves her. He kills Cetus and frees Andromeda. “W” shaped Cassiopeia and Cepheus, shaped like a stick drawing of a house, are visible overhead. Pegasus, the flying horse, is a Great Square high in the eastern sky, flying upside down; his neck begins at the lower right star of the square. Andromeda’s chains flow from the upper left star in the square and continues westward. The famous Andromeda Galaxy lies above the upper chain and is visible to naked eyes in rural skies. Perseus appears to the east of Pegasus, resembling a stick drawing of a man with one long and one short leg. The brightest star in the short leg is Algol, the “Demon Star”, representing the evil eye of the Medusa. Cetus lies beneath Pegasus and Pisces. It is a dim constellation low on the horizon for our latitude.
Clear Skies Joe Slomka