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Night sky events for the week of November 23 , 2009
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Hello Sky Watchers!
There will be a first quarter Moon on Tuesday the 24th. Also, see Jupiter shining to the left of the crescent Moon on Monday the 23rd. Then, on Thursday look for the Moon high in the sky between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. EST, right below the constellation Pegasus.
Now is a good time to start observing the Orion Nebula, since the constellation is rising earlier at night. Look for it low on the horizon at about 8:30 p.m. EST., by about 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. it is a good spot high on the eastern horizon. The nebula is located under the three stars that form the 'belt' of the Hunter, when seen through a telescope the nebula will look like a bluish fuzzy patch.
Mars is now rising at around 11:00 p.m. EST; find it some degrees below the stars Castor and Pollux of the Gemini constellation in the low eastern sky. By around midnight Mars is higher in the sky and easier to spot, since there are less obstructions such as buildings and trees.
Jupiter is in the south at around twilight and remains visibly bright in the sky until it sets at around 10:00 p.m. EST. in the southwest. Saturday is found in the southeast at dawn with its rings tilted only about 4 degrees from edge on.
The space shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station will be orbiting the Earth together until Friday of this week, when the shuttle is scheduled to land. You can possibly catch them as they fly high over your area at a speed of about 17,500 miles an hour. Check the Station Sightings page on the NASA website to see when it will be visible near your city or town.
Look on up and smile!
For all previous weeks' night sky events click here.
For more sky viewing information go to Sky & Telescope, Jack Horkheimer's website and Astronomy.com
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