What's Up?

This page shows a brief summary of what interesting things we can see in the sky this month.  

A more detailed version of 'What's Up' this month is available as a downloadable Word document right at the bottom of this page. 

We are now among the 'wet' constellations, Capricornus the water goat, Pisces the fishes, Piscis Austrinus the southern fish with brilliant Formalhaut in its mouth, (it means  mouth of the fish) Eridanus the River, Cetus the Whale and Aquarius the water bearer, ISS is an evening object after 22nd November.

The Sun - is at sunspot minimum, and has been quiet of late. 

The Moon

The phases of the Moon are as follows:

• Last Quarter - 8th November
• New - 15th November
• First Quarter - 22nd November
• Full - 30th November

Darkest nights for deep sky observing will be the 11th  to the 18th November.

Mercury, is a morning object all month, best seen on the 10th at 6am in the South East.

Venus, is still a morning object but getting lower every day.

Recently at opposition, still best thing in the sky...

Getting lower and closer to the sunset, you need a low horizon to spot this.

Right close to Jupiter and getting closer for next month's Super-conjunction.

At opposition In Aries, high in the South and is visible all night even in binoculars

Is in Aquarius, sets about midnight so check it out early, Distance 30AU

Comets

Nothing brighter than magnitude 8 forecast.

Asteroids

No bright asteroids this month.

Meteors

Meteors Taurid Meteors, big and slow moving can be spotted anytime this month, there are two peaks on the 5th and 20th, both have a ZHR of 5. The  Moon will not spoil peaks. The Leonids ZHR 20 will peak on the 17th / 18th. However they can be seen anytime from the 15th  to the 20th  usually after midnight. Small and fast moving, they differ completely from the Taurids. The Moon will not spoil the peak. Alpha Monocerotids, ZHR 5, peak on 22nd, visible from 15th to 25th. the Moon spoils it however.

Deep Sky

Almost too much to catalogue this month, naked eye clusters include the Hyades and Pleiades in Taurus, a huge Naked eye cluster surrounds Mirfak or Alpha Persei, of course all three are better in binoculars. From Mirfak track along the milky way toward Cassiopeia and spot the double cluster.