Celestial Events in November (Patreon)

Hello Patrons, Hope every had a good Halloween!

It will be a relatively quite month for celestial events, but still a couple to look out for!  

November 10th - Mercury at greatest Western Elongation
This is the best time to view Mercury (in the morning) since it will be the furthest from the sun. Look for a small "star" low in the Eastern Sky right before sunrise. 

November 11/12- Taurids Meteor shower peak
This meteor shower actually runs for a solid two months- but the highest concentration of meteors happens around this time. This only yields a meteor every 5-10 minutes or so (5-10 per hour on average) but is known for occasional bright fireballs. 

November 15th- New Moon
The best time to go star gazing is right around this time. Get away from city lights and watch the two meteor showers that are close to peaking. The core of the milky way sets very early as we make way for winter constellations, but the orion spurt will be visible as a shimmery band of lightlate in the evening across dark skies. 

November 16,17- Leonids Meteor Shower Peak
This meteor shower will have a meteor every few minutes or so (15 per hours), so coupled with the Taurids, you should see quite a lot of activity in the night sky. 

November 30th- Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
The most underwhelming of all eclipses, a penumbral eclipse happens when the moon passes through the "penumbra" of Earth's shadow (the fuzzy outer region of our shadow). Because it is not a total or partial eclipse, you won't really see the shadow's edge, but rather a slight dimming of the lunar surface. Time lapses can show how the shadow changes as the moon moves across the sky, but generally is difficult to tell there is a difference. The eclipse begins at 11:30pm (Pacific time) and lasts arounf 4.5 hours. If the moon is visible from your location at this time, it should be visible. It is visible across all of north and south america, australia, and briefly in parts of the UK.