Jared May: What's up, November 14-20, 2021
What’s Up This Third Week of November
Ohio may have some clear night towards the middle of the week, but they will be cold ones. The nighttime temperatures are dropping down into the low 30s within a few hours after sunset. The cold air will give very clear skies, but at the cost of discomfort. Sunset this week is right around 5:15 PM so the best time for stargazing will start around 6:15 PM.
Once it gets dark, be on the lookout this week for more meteors, a lunar eclipse, the moon passing by Uranus, and celebrate William Herschel’s birthday.
Last week I mentioned the peak of the Southern Taurids meteor shower. Friday November 12 was the peak of the Northern Taurids meteor shower. This meteor shower, similar to the Southern Taurids, only produces around five or six meteors per hour. But again, these meteors are slightly larger than average and will produce brighter and easier-to-spot fireballs. This meteor shower will run into the start of December, so there is a long window for viewing. The meteors will appear to be originating from the constellation of Taurus.
The radiants (the spot in the sky from which meteors seem to emanate, are very close together for the northern and southern Taurids.
There is another meteor shower this week too. On Thursday, November 18, the Leonids meteor shower will peak. This shower usually lasts from early November all the way to the first few days of December, so you also have a long viewing window for this meteor shower. The Leonids are predicted to drop 15 meteors per hour – but it will be near the full moon, so watch all this week for meteors before the moon becomes too bright. This meteor rate is put to shame by the 1833 Leonids which produced an incredible 50,000 to 150,000 meteors per hour.
The Leonid shower, while much less strong than its 33-year peaks, still gives a moderately good show.
Friday, November 19, will mark the full moon. This full moon is a special one, however, because it will also be the longest partial lunar eclipse in 600 years! Note that it’s the longest partial eclipse because it will be just shy of total- and, for the most part, just about as good. Lunar eclipses don’t get as much attention as solar eclipses because they are more subtle and occur a little more frequently – but you won’t want to miss it. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon falls into the shadow of the earth which causes an orange/red hue to be cast over the moon. The best time to watch this eclipse is unfortunately pretty early in the morning. It begins at 1:02 AM, peaks at 4:02 AM when the moon will be 97% covered by the earth’s shadow, and it will end at 7:03 AM. You might be able to capture a few amazing images!
The partial (almost total) lunar eclipse occurs on Friday morning before sunrise (after Thursday night).
On Wednesday, November 17, turn your binoculars towards the bright waxing gibbous and observe the bright and dark patches on the lunar surface. These dark patches are the remains of ancient lava seas that once were abundant across the moon’s surface. While you are observing the moon, turn your binoculars or telescope about a degree to the west and hunt for the faint blue-ish planet of Uranus. It will appear as no more than a faint twinkling star, especially being so close to the bright moon.
The evening before the eclipse, the nearly full moon passes by Uranus.
Monday, November 15, will mark the 283rd birthday of the famous astronomer William Herschel. He was a pioneering astronomer who live from 1738 to 1822 and made numerous astronomical discoveries. Some of his most notable discoveries include Uranus, numerous binary star systems, and many deep-sky objects. He and his sister cataloged 2,500 objects in total. Many of these objects were added to the NGC catalog that was created in 1888.
The English Astronomer William Herschel, who was the first person since antiquity to discover a new planet. That planet came to be called Uranus.
The temperatures this week will be dropping fast so make sure to bring a winter coat to your next star gazing session. It will also be important that you leave your telescope or binoculars outside for a while before you use them. This is so they can thermally equilibrate with the outside temperature which will prevent dew from forming on the lens and obstructing your view. Sit back and enjoy all that the sky has to offer from planets, to nebulae, to colorful stars. This week be on the lookout for meteors, the moon passing by faint Uranus, a long lunar eclipse, and try hunting for the same objects that Herschel laid eyes on in the early 1800s.
Clear Skies!