Both Venus and Jupiter were visible in the night sky over Britain.
You may have seen a bright object near the Moon that is not a star, but the planet Venus.
And planetary watchers will be treated to even more celestial drama tonight.
In fact, there are some impressive performances planned this month.
What planets can I see tonight?
According to the Royal Observatory Greenwich, Venus can be seen throughout November. The guidebook states that the best time to visit is from 2:30 a.m. to sunrise. We advise you to look beyond the southeastern horizon.
Jupiter rises above the eastern horizon after 17:30 and sets in the west after 6:00 am. However, at the end of the month it will only be visible from 1:00 to 4:30 am.
Timeanddate.com says both will have “perfect visibility.”
You can also look for Venus, which is “clearly visible.”
What else can we expect in November?
Other highlights include:
- November 13 – The Earth oscillates between the Sun and Uranus. Uranus will reach opposition, meaning it will be at the point of its orbit closest to Earth. This is the best time to observe the planets because they are brighter than normal and you will likely be able to see them without a telescope.
- November 17-18 – peak of the Leonids meteor shower. The Royal Observatory at Greenwich advises us to “look northeast and turn slightly to the right, there you will find the constellation Leo.” The Leonid meteor shower is named after Leo because it is located at the head of Leo. The shower is expected to have a speed of 10 meteors per hour.
- During the month, you can see the Pleiades, also called the Seven Sisters. In Greek mythology, the seven sisters were named Maia, Alcyone, Asterope (or Sterope), Keleeno, Taygeta, Electra and Merope. According to the Royal Observatory Greenwich: “This star cluster is located directly above the constellation Taurus, home of the star Atlas, which was the father of sisters in Greek mythology.” This cluster will reach its highest point at midnight on November 18th.
- Look for the constellation Cepheus to be visible in the far northern sky throughout the month.
- Orion the Hunter returns to the southern night sky. The stars Betelgeuse and Rigel, two of the ten brightest stars in the sky, are visible without a telescope or binoculars.
- Also look for the Orion Nebula (also known as M42) below Orion’s Belt. This nebula can be seen not only through a telescope, but also with the naked eye.
Source: I News
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