As the first week of November draws to a close, the night sky prepares for a fantastic week of celestial events. Look forward to a magnificent close encounter between the Moon and the solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter, and the peak of a unique meteor shower renowned for producing spectacular, brilliant fireballs…
Monday 10th of November—Moon and Jupiter close together
Look east late at night and see a beautiful combo of the Moon and one of the giants of our solar system
The Waning Gibbous Moon (moon that is not full but more than half lit), will appear once again strikingly close to Jupiter, the brightest point of light in that part of the sky. This is a visual phenomenon known as a conjunction. In reality, the two bodies are separated by hundreds of millions of kilometers. For the best view, locate Jupiter as it rises high. You should be able to see its distinct, bright and steady glow right next to the Moon
Tuesday 11th of November—Northern Taurid Fireball Peak
This is the night to keep an eye out for, as this only happens every few years.
The Northern Taurid meteor shower reaches its peak activity this night. While it typically only produces about 5 meteors per hour, the Taurids are famous for producing bright fireballs. These are exceptionally brilliant, slow-moving meteors that will light up the whole sky and that are caused by debris from the Comet Enke.
Look high in the sky after midnight, with the meteors appearing in the Taurus, the Bull constellation. You will definitely be able to see these without any equipment.
Wednesday 12th of November—Last Quarter Moon
The Moon will complete the first half of its decreasing cycle and will enter a phase loved by serious deep sky observers.
The Moon will reach its “Last Quarter” phase early on this day. It will be exactly half-illuminated, rising around midnight and dominating the pre-dawn sky. This lunar phase is important because it means the Moon will be out of the early evening sky for the rest of the week, allowing for optimal viewing of the fainter, further away galaxies and star clusters without major light interference. This phase also provides good shadows for observing the Moon’s features. You will be able to see this with the Naked eye but a telescope will help you to better see the features of our Moon.