Salutations celestial sight seers!
I'm David Fuller, welcome to Eyes on the Sky; what's up this week?
The Moon was new on November 3-rd, which means that for Monday evening, those with clear,
transparent skies and an unobstructed southwestern horizon can try to spot the very young, one
day old Moon.
Trace a line along the ecliptic from Venus, that is slightly below it, towards where the
Sun would be below the horizon.
The Moon will be slightly above this line.
Using the simple hand-measuring techniques, estimate about 30 degrees from Venus.
This is about where to find the VERY slim crescent of the one day old Moon.
Binoculars will help, but seeing it naked eye is both a challenge, and exciting to have
accomplished if you do manage to see it.
I'll have more information on spotting it at eyesonthesky.com
Two days later, the 15 percent illuminated crescent displays both Mare Crisium and Mare
Fecunditatis.
To the north of Mare Crisium is the massive crater Cleomedes.
With a small telescope, look for clefts and small craters on the floor, along with the
central peak.
In the southern section of Mare Fecunditatis, check out the shadows on the craters Gloclenius
and Columbo.
By the early part of the weekend, the big three craters near Mare Nectaris, Theophilus,
Cyrillus and Catharina are dramatically shadowed, with the central peak of Theophilus standing
out in stark contrast.
This isn't just a central peak, it's a mountain chain within this 100 kilometers diameter
crater, and the rise up to 2,000 meters in height.
(pause) Remember, almost ANY small telescope can show you these features, so get out there
and look!
Dark Sky Fact: Simple, small changes to our lights can make a BIG difference.
Look at how the streetlight one house away from our house dramatically altered the glare
shining towards a bedroom window, while keeping the intersection below it well-lit.
Learn more about how this streetlight got changed -- and how you may be able to get
yours changed too.
Comet ISON has generated a LOT of attention over the last year or so, having displayed
a rather significant coma quite far out in the solar system, raising observing expectations.
First, temper expectations: It is not brightening as quickly as hoped, so it may not quite be
the "Comet of the Century" as some have hyped it to be.
That said, it is brightening in the morning sky, and on November 7 it will be very near
the third magnitude star Beta Virginis -- easily within a telescopic field of view.
That morning the comet should be around magnitude 7; bright enough to be seen in binoculars
under moderately dark skies, or in telescopes under more light polluted ones.
But - that's not the only bright comet to see in the night sky!
There are two other comets that have unexpectedly had outbursts lately.
Comet 2P Encke will skim past Zeta Virginis by just 3 degrees on November 9-th and 10-th,
and should glow around magnitude 6, which is a full magnitude brighter than ISON!
This comet drops towards the morning sun just as ISON will be, and the two will be in a
fairly tight 5 or 6 degree circle with Saturn and Mercury later in the month -- what a photo
opportunity that will be!
And last but not least, the Comet C-2103 R1 Lovejoy is the fourth comet discovered by
Australian Terry Lovejoy.
This comet is also apparently fairly bright right now, and is actually much better placed
for viewing.
Look in Cancer the Crab, where this comet will buzz past the Beehive Cluster on the
mornings of November 6-th and 7-th.
There will be links to finder charts and observing information at Eyes on the Sky dot com.
What a month November 2013 is turning out to be for comets!
Grab your binoculars, set your alarm clock, and get up early to catch these cosmic interlopers
before they zip back out of our region of the solar system.
Along The Ecliptic: Jupiter has a few more double shadow transits left before the month
is out, but it's also just a degree away from NGC 2362, the Eskimo Nebula.
That's all for this week.
Keep your eyes on the sky and your outdoor lights aimed down, so we can all see, what's
up.
I'm David Fuller, wishing you clear and dark skies.