NASA’s monthly skywatching tips include a rare lunar occultation

NASA has conscionable released its monthly tips for what to look retired for successful nan entity during November.

There are respective planets that will beryllium easy to spot complete nan coming month. Saturn, for example, will beryllium viewable successful nan evenings toward nan south, and if you’re looking from nan Americas, nan satellite will look to person a adjacent meetup pinch the moon connected November 10. “Check nan entity again astir midnight, and you’ll spot nan satellite has visibly shifted a mates of degrees westbound of Saturn, showing grounds of nan moon’s orbital mobility successful conscionable a fewer hours,” NASA explained successful its astir caller monthly post.

The abstraction agency besides notes that Jupiter is rising successful nan eastbound early successful nan nighttime successful November — on pinch nan agleam stars of nan constellations Taurus and Orion — and moving its measurement crossed nan entity by dawn. By nan extremity of nan month, Jupiter will beryllium rising conscionable arsenic nan entity is getting dark. And look retired for nan orangish dot of Mars, too, arsenic it rises down Jupiter astir 3 hours later. Early risers will besides find Mars precocious overhead successful nan greeting entity earlier dawn.

Keep your eyes peeled for nan blazing agleam Venus, too, which tin beryllium spotted successful nan evening sky, debased successful nan southwest, pursuing sunset passim nan month.

Lunar occultation

Several hours earlier sunrise connected November 27, skywatchers successful nan eastbound half of nan U.S. and Canada person an opportunity to witnesser an occultation. This is an astronomical arena successful which 1 celestial entity is hidden by different 1 that passes betwixt it and nan observer, erstwhile nan nearer entity appears larger and wholly obscures nan much distant celestial object. In this case, Earth’s satellite will walk successful beforehand of nan prima Spica.

“This occultation is 1 of a bid that began successful June and will proceed monthly done precocious adjacent year,” NASA explained. “These hap arsenic nan moon’s orbit slow shifts northward and southward crossed nan sky, and each truthful often, its way crosses successful beforehand of Spica monthly for a time. But each occultation is only visible from a mini information of Earth. For example, while this November arena favors North American viewers, South American observers will get their chance adjacent April. For U.S. skywatchers, this November occultation is nan past bully opportunity successful this bid to spot nan satellite occult Spica until 2032, erstwhile a caller bid of monthly occultations will statesman for locations crossed nan globe.”

There’s plentifulness to support an oculus retired for complete nan coming weeks. Just dream for clear skies, and for nan champion position effort to get to a spot wherever there’s minimal ray contamination from things for illustration thoroughfare lights.