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SKYWATCH - NOVEMBER
LEONID METEOR SHOWER
One of Natures more dramatic meteor showers is due on the 17th with high numbers likely in the early hours and after 9pm. Although the Leonids are a regular November feature, the rate has varied in past years from 20 per hour to thousands. This year there is predicted to be a short burst of intense activity around 9.45pm. Some shooting stars will be seen a few days either side of the peak and there will also be some from another shower, the Taurids - earlier and much less dramatic, often lost among the fireworks.
PLANETS
Jupiter still dominates the early evening sky, the bright object in the south at dusk, moving westwards and setting before midnight. Neptune is close by, also in Capricornus, and Uranus is to the left in Aquarius. This is a good opportunity to see all three while they are so well placed. Mars is visible in the early hours. It is coming closer and therefore appears bigger, and brighter; its northern ice cap is now on show and other surface features can be detected. It is found right in the middle of the Beehive Cluster at the beginning of the month. The Cluster is the main feature of Cancer and looks good through binoculars. Venus is getting closer to the Sun so it is almost dawn before it rises. Saturn is also quite low, but a little higher and earlier than Venus. For those with a telescope there is an unusual event to observe this month. Saturns rings are currently almost side on, which leaves its moons able to cast shadows on the surface (as they do on Jupiter). On the 15th at 3.25am, its biggest moon, Titan, will appear from the planetary shadow and brighten by four magnitudes - enough to please any keen early morning observers.
CONSTELLATIONS
Regarded as one of the easy constellations to find, Cassiopeia is directly overhead 8-10pm this month, a W shape with the open end facing north. The numerous clusters and galaxies within it make it good for binocular viewing. Looking half-way down from Cassiopeia at the southern sky, we reach the left side of the Great Square of Pegasus. Pegasus is a very large constellation made up of very few stars. It represents the inverted front half of a winged horse, with four bright corner stars and a few straggling off to the right. The top left star is actually borrowed from the neighbouring constellation, Andromeda. The Square is recognised more by its emptiness than anything else and makes a useful reference point.