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In the Sky This Week – November 24 2020

By Robert Trembley  |  24 Nov 2020

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This entry is part 175 of 253 in the series In the Sky This Week

Conjunction

Jupiter and Saturn appear in the southwestern sky at dusk, getting closer together with each passing evening.

Conjunction Saturn and Jupiter appear in the southwestern sky at dusk. Credit: Bob Trembley / Stellarium.

Mercury and Venus appear in the east-southeastern predawn sky all week – Mercury may be difficult to spot this week being so near the horizon.

Southeastern predawn sky Mercury and Venus appear in the southeastern predawn sky. Credit: Bob Trembley / Stellarium.

Mars appears high in the southeastern sky after sunset – the waxing gibbous Moon appears near Mars on Nov. 25th

Conjunction The waxing gibbous Moon near Mars after sunset on Nov. 25th. Credit: Bob Trembley / Stellarium.

The constellations Orion and Taurus appear in the eastern sky a few hours after sunset, and move across the southern sky to appear in the western sky before sunrise.

The Moon is a waxing gibbous – visible to the southeast in early evening, and up for most of the night.

The full Moon occurs on Nov. 30th – it rises at sunset, is visible high in the sky around midnight, and is visible all night.

Moon The Moon from 2020-11-24 – 2020-11-30. Visualizations by Ernie Wright / NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio.

If you click on the Moon image above, or click this link, you will go to NASA’s Moon Phase and Libration, 2020 page – it will show you what the Moon looks like right now. If you click the image on that page, you will download a high-rez TIF image annotated with the names of prominent features – helpful for logging your observations!

Moon Annotated close-up of a section of the Moon on Nov. 27th. – showing the play of shadows along the terminator. Visualizations by Ernie Wright / NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio.

Moon News

And for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, check out this video! #MoonCrushMonday https://t.co/69XFEJSPtn pic.twitter.com/8C77bkxff8

— NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) November 23, 2020

NASA installed a developmental RS-25 engine into the test stand at Stennis. This engine will be used in an upcoming test series to gather data and evaluate new components for development and production of new RS-25 engines for future #Artemis missions. pic.twitter.com/pFFaJXgwKY

— Stennis Space Center (@NASAStennis) November 20, 2020

Sun Sun on 2020-11-24. Credit: SDO/HMI

The Sun has 3 active sunspots! This is the most at one time for this sunspot cycle – all three of these sunspots are relatively large, and pose a threat for C-class solar flares.

There are several regions of coronal activity across the Sun’s face – 3 regions in the southern hemisphere associated with the sunspots, and one in the northern hemisphere that has no spot.

The northern coronal hole, remains ginormous, with tendrils stretching almost to the equator; the coronal hole at the south pole remains small.

The Sun seen in 193 angstroms (extreme ultraviolet) November 23, 2020:

https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/dailymov/2020/11/23/20201123_1024_0193.mp4

 

Lots of prominence activity over the last couple days; keep your eye on the lower left of the Sun’s face in the video below – the last second has something exciting happening!

The Sun seen in 304 angstroms (extreme ultraviolet) November 23, 2020:

https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/dailymov/2020/11/23/20201123_1024_0304.mp4
Videos courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams.
You can view the Sun in near real-time, in multiple frequencies here: SDO-The Sun Now.
You can create your own time-lapse movies of the Sun here: AIA/HMI Browse Data.
You can browse all the SDO images of the Sun from 2010 to the present here: Browse SDO archive.

Solar Activity on Facebook – Run by Volunteer NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Pamela Shivak

Sun Credit: Toshio Ohnishi – 2020-11-24. Notes: SW 120->100/1000) ( ERF) (PST -200mm lens) (Modified PST-1A H alpha) (R64 filter) (Amici Prism) (Barlow *1.5) (ASI174MM) (SharpCap3.2) Flare C4.3, Bad Seeing !

Solar Corona

Solar wind speed is 440.4 km/sec (↑), with a density of 2.6 protons/cm3 (↓) at 1310 UT.

Near real-time animation of the corona and solar wind from the Solar & Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO):

SOHO LASCO C2 Latest Image Animated LASCO C2 Coronograph showing the solar corona above the Sun’s limb (the white circle). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech-SOHO

Sun News

WOW! The region of interstellar space that the Sun is embedded has a much higher concentration of hydrogen than previously thought!

Pickup ions — interstellar atoms that drift into our heliosphere & mix with the solar wind — carry clues about space beyond our solar system. A new study of pickup ions suggests nearby interstellar space has about 40% more hydrogen than previously thought. https://t.co/gNjxoWPxU1 pic.twitter.com/sxAuErd0TV

— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) November 5, 2020

Near-Earth objects (NEOs) discovered this month: 219, this year: 2638, all time: 24,494  (+82)
Potentially hazardous asteroids: 2037  (last updated  June 2, 2020)
Total Minor Planets
discovered (NASA): 1,032,063 (+5094)
Total Minor Planets discovered (MPC): 993,960

Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:

Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Velocity (km/s)
Diameter (m)
2017 WJ16
2020-Nov-24
5.3 LD
4.7
49
2020 TJ8
2020-Nov-24
16.8 LD
4.6
33
2020 WM2
2020-Nov-25
12.2 LD
16
35
2020 VK6
2020-Nov-25
13.1 LD
11.2
28
2018 RQ4
2020-Nov-26
8.1 LD
7.4
15
2020 WH3
2020-Nov-26
14.1 LD
6.4
17
2020 VO2
2020-Nov-26
12.6 LD
6.2
17
2020 WX2
2020-Nov-27
4 LD
12.8
15
2020 KZ2
2020-Nov-28
5.7 LD
3.9
10
2020 VF6
2020-Nov-28
8.4 LD
17.9
32
153201
2020-Nov-29
11.2 LD
25.1
490
2020 WC2
2020-Nov-29
14.3 LD
22.4
34
2020 VT5
2020-Nov-30
17.7 LD
16.3
41
2020 SO
2020-Dec-01
0.1 LD
3.9
6
2020 VQ5
2020-Dec-01
19.7 LD
11.9
40
2019 XH2
2020-Dec-02
16.1 LD
6.4
6
2020 WP
2020-Dec-03
9.5 LD
11.4
51
2020 WS2
2020-Dec-04
12 LD
10.8
42
2020 WO
2020-Dec-04
10.4 LD
6.1
23
2018 PK21
2020-Dec-08
12.2 LD
3.1
23
2020 WK3
2020-Dec-08
10 LD
6.9
36
2019 XQ1
2020-Dec-13
18.4 LD
8.6
30
2020 VY1
2020-Dec-16
13.2 LD
4.4
22
2017 XQ60
2020-Dec-21
10.8 LD
15.6
47
2011 CL50
2020-Dec-24
3.1 LD
3.4
11
501647
2020-Dec-25
7.9 LD
10
123
2012 XE133
2020-Dec-27
11.7 LD
9.2
74
2016 AF2
2020-Dec-27
7.3 LD
5.3
9
2012 UK171
2020-Dec-30
15.5 LD
4.7
47
2019 YB4
2021-Jan-02
16.8 LD
7.2
16
2003 AF23
2021-Jan-03
18.3 LD
15.8
235
2019 QW2
2021-Jan-03
8.8 LD
4.9
39
2012 BT1
2021-Jan-04
13.6 LD
7.7
12
2016 CO247
2021-Jan-06
19.3 LD
16.7
282
2018 KP1
2021-Jan-06
8.2 LD
4.4
34
332446
2021-Jan-06
9.6 LD
11
408
2015 NU13
2021-Jan-09
14.8 LD
15.1
408
2020 RO6
2021-Jan-11
19.5 LD
7.9
105
2013 YS2
2021-Jan-11
18.2 LD
3.7
78
2017 QW1
2021-Jan-15
17.8 LD
4
20
65717
2021-Jan-17
18.5 LD
3.6
246

Notes: LD means “Lunar Distance.” 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. Red highlighted entries are asteroids that either pass very close, or very large with high relative velocities to the Earth. Table from SpaceWeather.com

On November 23, 2020, the NASA All Sky Fireball Network reported 8 fireballs. 
(5 sporadics, 3 Leonids)

In this diagram of the inner solar system, all of the fireball orbits intersect at a single point–Earth. The orbits are color-coded by velocity, from slow (red) to fast (blue). Credit: SpaceWeather.com

Fireball News

#Fireball detected to the north from Hampshire at 00:49 this morning (23/11/2020) measured at magnitude -5. pic.twitter.com/uT0WZFyhcR

— Richard (@nova_foresta) November 23, 2020

If you see a bright meteor or a fireball, please REPORT IT to the American Meteor Society!

Position of the planets and several spacecraft in the inner solar system:

Inner Solar System Position of the planets and a couple spacecraft in the inner solar system, 2020-11-24. Credit: Bob Trembley / NASA Eyes on the Solar System.

Position of the planets in the middle solar system:

Middle Solar System Position of the planets in the middle solar system, 2020-11-24. Credit: Bob Trembley / NASA Eyes on the Solar System.

Position of the planets, some dwarf planets and some transneptunian objects in the outer solar system.

Outer Solar System Position of the planets and some transneptunian objects in the outer solar system, 2020-11-24. Credit: Bob Trembley / NASA Eyes on the Solar System.

Solar System News

Moon hunting: the search for “Peggy” https://t.co/looKXvumN2 pic.twitter.com/g8tLxe15Wg

— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) June 13, 2017

International Space Station: #SpaceStation20th

The @SpaceX #CrewDragon astronauts, @Astro_illini, @AstroVicGlover, @Astro_Soichi and Shannon Walker are hard at work and getting used to life on the station. More… https://t.co/aAp79ML16o pic.twitter.com/dAPTWC2DjA

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) November 24, 2020

A Dragon spacecraft carrying cargo is scheduled arrive at the International Space Station on Dec. 6, around 11:30 a.m. EST following its launch from @NASAKennedy the day before. 🛰️ https://t.co/65Gc5g2yaH

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) November 23, 2020

Mars InSight Lander

With the mole just under the surface, I held up my camera for a better look at the work area. Up next: I’ll scrape some extra soil on top, and press down again to give it another assist.

Read more about what @NASAJPL and @DLR_en are doing to #SaveTheMole: https://t.co/RV4suOrxs6 pic.twitter.com/cvjncCLoDs

— NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) October 16, 2020

HiRISE – on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter:

Tyrrhena Terra crater floor – https://t.co/bdeDbRwlj7 pic.twitter.com/4jbdMFseFL

— HiRISE Bot (@HiRISEBot) November 24, 2020

Double crater on Cerberus plains – https://t.co/UiTAUEf4co pic.twitter.com/qPJ8A7b2vD

— HiRISE Bot (@HiRISEBot) November 24, 2020

Hubble Space Telescope:

This is an image of spiral galaxy NGC 3147, captured by Hubble.

⚫️ 😱 What you can’t see is the supermassive black hole at its center that weighs ~250 million times the mass of our Sun!

Learn more about black holes in this episode of Curious Universe: https://t.co/qREcbwdTG9 pic.twitter.com/EZD5PtyUqH

— Hubble (@NASAHubble) November 23, 2020

Landsat

#LandsatHeadline – Landsat 8 Data Availability Update from Recent Safehold Events.

The Landsat 8 Flight Operations Team has successfully restored the spacecraft to nominal operations & resumed imaging of OLI/TIRS data on November 14, 2020.

Learn more at https://t.co/sNU32ZRlHA pic.twitter.com/4nvNBee04L

— USGS Landsat (@USGSLandsat) November 20, 2020

Climate:

Earth's climate is very sensitive to changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide content. Learn just how sensitive and why it's important for everyone. https://t.co/3tbReNlO8j

— NASA Climate (@NASAClimate) November 23, 2020

See a list of current NASA missions here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/?type=current

Exoplanet
ex·o·plan·et /ˈeksōˌplanət/, noun: a planet orbiting a star other than the Sun.

All Exoplanets 4306  (+5)
Confirmed Planets with Kepler Light Curves for Stellar Host 2414  (+1)
Confirmed Planets Discovered by Kepler 2394  (+1)
Kepler Project Candidates Yet To Be Confirmed 2366  (-1)
Confirmed Planets with K2 Light Curves for Stellar Host 446  (+3)
Confirmed Planets Discovered by K2 425  (+3)
K2 Candidates Yet To Be Confirmed 889
Confirmed Planets Discovered by TESS 82  (+1)
TESS Project Candidates Integrated into Archive (2020-11-21 13:00:01) 2394 
Current date TESS Project Candidates at ExoFOP 2394 
TESS Candidates Yet To Be Confirmed 1443  (-4)

Data from the NASA Exoplanet Archive
* Confirmed Planets Discovered by TESS refers to the number planets that have been published in the refereed astronomical literature.
* TESS Project Candidates refers to the total number of transit-like events that appear to be astrophysical in origin, including false positives as identified by the TESS Project.
* TESS Project Candidates Yet To Be Confirmed refers to the number of TESS Project Candidates that have not yet been dispositioned as a Confirmed Planet or False Positive.

Exoplanet News

In 2019, a giant planet and its star were given names for rivers in Alaska that support indigenous and native populations.

The Mulchatna is a tributary of the Nushagak River, much like the planet is bound to its star. https://t.co/J9ROYn8URy#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth pic.twitter.com/hr3k8oIyT3

— NASA Exoplanets (@NASAExoplanets) November 19, 2020

The Milky Way is filled with planets. Now astronomers have found the first candidate planet in another galaxy. https://t.co/5LzO45q7Vs

— Astronomy Magazine (@AstronomyMag) November 23, 2020

Craters of the Moon National Monument now a Dark Sky Site!

My wife and I visited this park in 2009; my daughter and son in-law attended a star party there.

IDA's most recently certified International Dark Sky Park, Craters of the Moon National Monument. Learn more at https://t.co/h5K1NRZrbo pic.twitter.com/j0m852pgR6

— DarkSky International (@IDADarkSky) August 22, 2017

Connie Trembley in a Lava Tube at Craters of the Moon – 2009. Credit: Bob Trembley

 

Hubble: Beautiful Universe

ESA/Hubble #Flashback: This image features the star cluster Trumpler 14, one of the largest gatherings of hot, massive and bright stars in the Milky Way.

Credit: @NASA / @ESA , Jesús Maíz Apellániz ( @c_astrobiologia ) https://t.co/l9rut8A1AQ pic.twitter.com/2tGVvFKVsm

— HUBBLE (@HUBBLE_space) November 24, 2020

Tour of the Local Stellar Neighborhood

Continuing with my visual tour of nearby stars and their systems, we travel to DE CVn, about 15.8* light years distant.

Note: Space Engine has this star as 15.8 LY, however simbad has the distance as 30.5495 pc (99.63914 LY) – I have a bit of checking to do…

DE CVn DE CVn is 15.83 light years from Sol; the plane (green) is aligned with the orientation of the plane of the Milky Way galaxy. Credit: SpaceEngine / Bob Trembley.

DE CVn

DE CVn is an eclipsing binary composed to two red dwarf stars with an orbital period of 8h 44m 9.6s. The two red dwarf stars are tidally-locked with rotational periods matching their orbital periods.

The system as one confirmed exoplanet orbiting the pair of stars at a distance of 5.75 AU with an orbital period of 11.22 years.

Artist rendering of DE CVn seen from nearby

DE CVn Orbits of the red dwarf pair DE CVn seen from an oblique angle. Credit: Bob Trembley / SpaceEngine.

Artist rendering of DE CVn seen from Earth

DE CVn Orbital plane of the red dwarf pair DE CVn seen from Earth. The image on the left shows the pair at some separation, the image on the right shows the pair eclipsing. Credit: Bob Trembley / SpaceEngine.

Artist rendering of DE CVn seen from a distance

Seen from a short distance, the two stars seem to merge into one.

DE CVn Red dwarf binary DE CVn seen from a distance. Credit: Bob Trembley / SpaceEngine.

Artist rendering of the gas giant exoplanet DE CVn b

DE CVn Artistic rendering of exoplanet DE CVn b orbiting the binary red dwarf pair DE CVn – from this distance, the binary pair look like a single star. Credit: Bob Trembley / SpaceEngine.

 


What I was listening to when I was editing this:

Stay safe, be well, and look up!


Apps used for this post:

NASA Eyes on the Solar System: an immersive 3D solar system and space mission simulator – free for the PC /MAC. I maintain the unofficial NASA Eyes Facebook page.
Universe Sandbox: a space simulator that merges real-time gravity, climate, collision, and material interactions to reveal the beauty of our universe and the fragility of our planet. Includes VR support.
SpaceEngine: a free 3D Universe Simulator for Windows. Steam version with VR support available.
Stellarium: a free open source planetarium app for PC/MAC/Linux. It’s a great tool for planning observing sessions. A web-based version of Stellarium is also available.


Section header image credits:
The Sky – Stellarium / Bob Trembley
Observing Target – Turn Left at Orion / M. Skirvin
The Moon – NASA/JPL-Caltech
The Sun – NASA/JPL-Caltech
Asteroids – NASA/JPL-Caltech
Fireballs – Credited to YouTube
Comets – Comet P/Halley, March 8, 1986, W. Liller
The Solar System – NASA Eyes on the Solar System / Bob Trembley
Spacecraft News – NASA Eyes on the Solar System / Bob Trembley
Exoplanets – Space Engine / Bob Trembley
Light Pollution – NASA’s Black Marble
The Universe – Universe Today

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