Orion Nebula

The temperature has begun to fall in earnest now, and the dwindling leaves make the night sky that much more visible along the horizon. It is on the eastern horizon where you will find the Moon rising in the constellation Gemini on the 12th as the sun is setting. The November full Moon is called the Frost Moon because this month is when the first frost usually occurs, thus anticipating colder months ahead.

The planet Venus is visible in the western sky just after sunset. Because Venus orbits the Sun closer than the Earth, it takes Venus less time to complete an orbit. One Venus year is 225 days long. Since Venus is now catching up to the Earth in its orbit, it appears to grow closer and closer to the Sun in our sky. This will make Venus set steadily earlier throughout the month, close and closer to sunset.

Jupiter is visible in the south in the constellation Sagittarius. The largest planet in the Solar System, Jupiter acts as a giant mirror, reflecting much of the sunlight that falls on its cloud tops. Some of this light is reflected back towards the Earth, making Jupiter the brightest object in the southern sky. Through a good pair of binoculars it is possible to see the four largest moons of Jupiter, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.

The constellations Pegasus and Andromeda will pass directly overhead in the nighttime sky as November progresses. In Andromeda lies the Andromeda Galaxy. At 2.5 million light-years away, it is the farthest object visible to the naked eye. Rising in the east this month is the constellation Orion the Hunter, with its telltale three-star belt in between the bright red supergiant star Betelgeuse, meaning “armpit”, and the bright blue star Rigel. Below the belt of Orion is the Great Orion Nebula, plainly visible through binoculars.

To hear more stories of the seasonal sky, join us at the Rauch Planetarium for Skies Over Louisville: The Seasonal Edition on the first Saturday of every month at 9 p.m.