Jupiter is low on the horizon, and Saturn is high in the southwestern sky after sunset this week.
Saturn is high and Jupiter low above the southwestern horizon after sunset this week. Credit: Stellarium / Bob TrembleyMars appears low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
The planet Mars low on the eastern horizon before dawn this week. Credit: Stellarium / Bob TrembleyThe Moon appears in the south-southeastern sky after sunset this week – going from first quarter, to a waxing gibbous, to full early next week.
The Moon moves eastward each day in the south-southeastern sky – going from first quarter, to waxing gibbous, to full this week. Credit: Stellarium / Bob TrembleyThe full Moon appears high in the southeastern sky above the constellation Orion at 10:00 PM on Nov. 11th.
The full Moon appears high in the southeastern sky at 10:00 PM on Nov. 11th. Credit: Stellarium / Bob TrembleyThe Pleiades star cluster (M 45) and the constellation Taurus with the bright red star Aldebaran appear nearly overhead at midnight all week.
The Pleiades (M 45) and the constellation Taurus appear nearly overhead at midnight this week. Credit: Stellarium / Bob TrembleyVenus appears low on the southwestern horizon after sunset
Venus appears low on the horizon just after sunset on Nov. 5th. Credit: Stellarium / Bob Trembley
Transit of Mercury
Transits occur when a planet or another body moves in between another distant body and an observer; transits of our Sun are rare and fascinating astronomical events, and one is happening on November 11, 2019 from 7:36 AM-1:04 PM EST! You will need a telescope to see Mercury cross the face of the Sun; the NASA Night Sky Network has a list of Mercury Transit events and observing locations: [LINK].
Mercury transit on May 9, 2016. Credit: Tom Polakis of Tempe AZ.If it’s cloudy at your location, you can follow the transit online at: https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/webtv/. More information on the eclipse is available at Fred Espenak’s website: http://eclipsewise.com/oh/tm2019.html
The first-quarter Moon occurred on Nov. 4th; the Moon is a waxing gibbous, visible to the southeast in early evening, up for most of the night.
The full Moon occurs on Nov. 11th, the Moon rises at sunset, is visible high in the sky around midnight, and visible all night.
The Moon from Nov. 5-11, 2019. Visualizations by Ernie Wright / NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio.
Moon News
The sun has been spot-free for only 2 days; a spot from a few days ago has faded. Coronal holes appear at both poles, and a couple smaller coronal holes pepper the surface of the Sun.
Sun in 193 angstroms (extreme ultraviolet) Nov. 5, 2019. Image courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams.It looks like there are a couple large prominences on the Sun’s limb today!
Sun in 304 angstroms (extreme ultraviolet) Nov. 5, 2019. Image courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams.https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10220252356399981&set=gm.2758580024153324&type=3&theater&ifg=1
The solar wind speed is 415.4 km/sec (↑), with a density of 5.4 protons/cm3 (↓) at 1700 UT.
Animated LASCO C2 Coronograph showing the solar corona above the Sun’s limb (the white circle). Credit: NASA/JPL-CaltechYou 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.
Sun News
Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
| Asteroid |
Date(UT)
|
Miss Distance
|
Velocity (km/s)
|
Diameter (m)
|
| 2019 UE13 |
2019-Nov-06
|
8.3 LD
|
8.9
|
26
|
| 2019 UM13 |
2019-Nov-06
|
11.5 LD
|
5.9
|
17
|
| 2019 UL4 |
2019-Nov-07
|
16.7 LD
|
9
|
30
|
| 2019 UO7 |
2019-Nov-07
|
3.8 LD
|
4.1
|
10
|
| 2019 VM1 |
2019-Nov-08
|
11.3 LD
|
6.1
|
19
|
| 2019 UM12 |
2019-Nov-08
|
1.3 LD
|
13.6
|
41
|
| 2019 UR4 |
2019-Nov-08
|
7.3 LD
|
4.5
|
15
|
| 2019 UB7 |
2019-Nov-10
|
13.7 LD
|
17.5
|
56
|
| 2019 VN |
2019-Nov-11
|
3.1 LD
|
13.6
|
32
|
| 2010 JG |
2019-Nov-12
|
19.6 LD
|
14.9
|
235
|
| 2019 UB14 |
2019-Nov-12
|
4.9 LD
|
15.4
|
22
|
| 2019 UH1 |
2019-Nov-13
|
9.5 LD
|
9.1
|
50
|
| 2019 UN12 |
2019-Nov-13
|
3.8 LD
|
28.8
|
141
|
| 2019 VX |
2019-Nov-13
|
4.1 LD
|
10.8
|
31
|
| 2019 UE8 |
2019-Nov-15
|
7.7 LD
|
6.6
|
27
|
| 2019 UR2 |
2019-Nov-18
|
18 LD
|
13.4
|
126
|
| 2019 UK6 |
2019-Nov-20
|
15.4 LD
|
7.7
|
63
|
| 481394 |
2019-Nov-21
|
11.3 LD
|
7.9
|
372
|
| 2019 VK |
2019-Nov-21
|
5.8 LD
|
7.6
|
43
|
| 2008 EA9 |
2019-Nov-23
|
10.5 LD
|
2.2
|
10
|
| 2019 VF1 |
2019-Nov-25
|
13.4 LD
|
17.3
|
87
|
| 2017 AP4 |
2019-Dec-03
|
8.5 LD
|
7.5
|
15
|
| 2018 XW2 |
2019-Dec-07
|
17.4 LD
|
13
|
28
|
| 216258 |
2019-Dec-20
|
15.3 LD
|
11.8
|
324
|
| 2013 XY20 |
2019-Dec-21
|
18.4 LD
|
1.9
|
28
|
| 2017 XQ60 |
2019-Dec-22
|
11 LD
|
15.6
|
47
|
| 310442 |
2019-Dec-26
|
19 LD
|
12.3
|
372
|
| 2019 AE3 |
2020-Jan-02
|
4.9 LD
|
8.2
|
13
|
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
Potentially hazardous asteroids: 2018 (last updated Oct. 1, 2019)
Minor Planets discovered: 839,919 (+7469)
Asteroid News
On Nov. 5, 2019, the NASA All Sky Fireball Network reported 83 fireballs.
(69 sporadics, 11 northern Taurids, 2 Orionids, 1 chi Taurid)
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). From: Spaceweather.comFireball News
Comet News
Position of the planets and a couple spacecraft in the inner solar system:
Position of the planets and some spacecraft in the inner solar system, Nov. 5, 2019. Credit: NASA Eyes on the Solar System / Bob Trembley.It looks almost like these three spacecraft want to get together:
The Kepler Space Telescope, STEREO Ahead and the Parker Solar Probe in the inner solar system look like they are rendezvousing for a spacecraft party – Nov. 5, 2019. Credit: NASA Eyes on the Solar System / Bob Trembley.Position of the planets and a couple bodies in the middle solar system:
Position of the planets in the middle solar system, Nov. 5, 2019. Credit: NASA Eyes on the Solar System / Bob Trembley.Universe Sandbox has a recent update which includes the 20 new moons of Saturn, and an impressive tour of the historical timeline of the discovery of Saturn’s moons:
Update to Universe Sandbox includes Saturn’s recently discovered moons. Credit: Universe Sandbox / Bob TrembleySpaceEngine has a recent update with new textures for Saturn’s moon Titan:
[gallery type=”slideshow” columns=”1″ size=”large” ids=”https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Titan-Saturn-and-the-Sun.jpg|Artist’s conception of Saturn’s moon Titan – Saturn and the Sun appear in the background. Saturn’s rings are edge-on to Titan, and are difficult to see. Credit: SpaceEngine / Bob Trembley,https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Above-Titan.jpg|Artist’s conception of Titan seen from its hazy upper atmosphere, with Saturn in the distance. Saturn’s rings are edge-on to Titan, and are difficult to see. Credit: SpaceEngine / Bob Trembley,https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Above-Titan-No-Clouds-or-Atmosphere.jpg|”Pining for Titan’s fjords.” Artist’s conception of Titan seen from above its surface with atmosphere and clouds removed. This image highlights the new surface textures for Titan added to a recent update of SpaceEngine. Saturn can be seen in the distance; Saturn’s rings are edge-on to Titan, and are very difficult to see. Credit: SpaceEngine / Bob Trembley,https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Titans-Lakes.jpg|Artist’s conception of Titan’s hydrocarbon lakes seen an altitude where the clouds and haze clear enough to see surface features. Credit: SpaceEngine / Bob Trembley,https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2
