November 1995

by Steve Stefanik

This November may be like no other (at least for the next one hundred years or so). As the month begins three planets are perched above the southwestern horizon in a straight line as the sun goes down. From left to right, Jupiter, Mars, and Venus can be seen with the naked eye amidst the background stars of Ophiucus. Venus is the brightest (magnitude -3.9) and closest to the horizon (about 4 degrees above it). Jupiter (at -1.9 magnitude) is 13 degrees above and to the left of Venus; and Mars (at a much dimmer +1.3 magnitude) is between the two. They have been inching their way toward one another all summer and will be in conjunction (within 5 degrees of each other) beginning on the 15th when Mars passes 1.2 degrees south of Jupiter. The second close call occurs three evenings later when Venus is just 1.3 degrees south of Jupiter and all three planets are within 2 degrees of one another. The third and last and closest of the conjunctions takes place on the evening of the 22nd when Venus passes within 0.2 of a degree of Mars. The grand finale however takes place the following evening, on the 23rd, when a 3% new waxing crescent sliver of the moon joins the trio. It should be a spectacular sight so don't miss it because Jupiter and Mars will be out of sight by the end of the month for the remainder of the year.

Speaking of planets, the Planetary Society (Carl Sagan and company) in conjunction (pun intended) with the Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory dedicated the new Beta SETI (Search for Extra-terrestial Intelligence) radio-telescope at Oak Ridge Observatory in Harvard, Massachusetts last Monday, October 30th. This is the world's most powerful radio-telescope ever built; 250 million channels all being monitored simultaneously. If "anyone" is out there we should hear them! And, it didn't cost a dime of tax-payer's money. It was paid for by private contributions by people like myself who are convinced that intelligent life may exist on other planets beyond our solar system such as the planet that was discovered orbiting around star 51 in Pegasus last week.