November 1998

by Steve Stefanik

November’s astronomical news is that this year’s Leonid meteor showers which will peak on the nights of the 17th and 18th, are being anxiously awaited by thousands of of professional and amateur astronomers alike. The Leonids get their name from the fact that the meteors appear to emanate from a radiant located in the constellation Leo. The showers occur annually but this year it is anticipated that the number of meteors per hour could range into the thousands because their source, Comet Temple-Tuttle passed by Earth in its orbit around the sun just this past February. It is hoped that a considerable amount of dust and debris was released in the comet’s wake when radiation from the sun sublimed its icy shell. The last time there was a deluge of meteoric activity from the Leonids was in 1966 and a maelstrom back in 1833 when 150,000 meteors per hour were reported.

Another factor favoring this year’s rendition of these showers is that the moon will be "new" and out of the sky. Look toward the east after midnight for the familiar "backwards question-mark" rising above the horizon. Although the meteors will radiate from this constellation they can be seen best if you look 30 or 40 degrees to the left, right, and above it.

Although the showers peak will occur on both the nights of the 17th and 18th, the better of the two nights will probably be on the 18th when our planet plunges headlong into the path of the debris around 8:45 p.m. EST. The day before on the 17th, we cross the path about 2 o’clock in the afternoon when it will still be daylight. This is not to say that there won’t be plenty of meteors to see later that night.

If this month’s Leonids prove to be disappointing you can turn your attention to the magnificent pair of planets that appear in the southern sky, Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter is still the brightest object in the nightsky except the moon of course. Saturn is trailing behind and to its left. Both of the gas giants will keep you aghast for hours watching their multitude of moons maneuver or observing the "Great Red Spot" of Jupiter swirl past from horizon to horizon or Saturn’s rings rotate in the light of the sun.

If that’s not enough to make up for the disappointment of a poor Leonid performance you can always turn you sight to the planets Uranus and Neptune which are still well placed in the southwest in the constellation Capricorn at nightfall.

Mars rises around 2:00 a.m. and will be slightly lower and to the left of Leo’s brightest star Regulus. Although still quite small it is continuing to grow in size with each passing month as it approaches opposition in April 1999.

Also, the planet Mercury makes its way above the southwestern horizon this month. Look for it about 30 minutes after sundown near Scorpio’s brightest star Antares.

On the night of November 5 at about 7:00 p.m., the one day past full moon will occult Aldebaran the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. Look for the big "V" lying on its side facing east.