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Planets November 2007

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Planets November 2007 Planets November 2007 The information below is valid for 15 November as viewed from Pretoria. All planets, except Mercury, are more or less static over the one-month period. However, the rise and set times will be one hour later (about 4 minutes per day) towards the beginning of the month and earlier towards the end of the month. Key information: Planet Magnitude Rise Set Angle Size of Constellation time time to Sun disc Mercury -0.7 04:21 17:14 17° 6” Virgo Venus -4.3 02:54 15:06 45° 20” Virgo Mars -0.9 22:16 08:42 130° 14” Gemini Ceres 7.3 17:40 05:16 168° Star like Cetus Jupiter -1.9 07:06 20:44 29° 32” Ophiuchus Saturn 0.7 01:25 12:49 76° 18” Leo Uranus 5.8 13:16 01:49 111° 4” Aquarius Neptune 7.9 11:21 00:29 85° 2” Capricorn Pluto 14 07:40 20:51 34° Star like Sagittarius Mercury: Mercury is in the morning sky during November. It reaches greatest western elongation on 8 November (19° West of the Sun) but remains difficult to see because it is always in the twilight zone. Mercury will reach superior conjunction on 17 December. Map on page 3. Venus: Venus is a morning object during November and is the brightest object in the eastern sky (excluding the Sun and Moon). On 5 November Venus is 6° from the Moon, which creates an opportunity to view Venus in daylight. Map on page 3. Mars: Mars will be the planet of choice to look out for during the next few months. Jupiter sets shortly after sunset while Saturn only rises after midnight. Mars on the other hand will be visible almost all night. Mars reaches opposition on 24 December and will then be at its best in 8½ years. Map on page 4. Ceres: Minor planet Ceres is in opposition on 9 November (Mag 7.2) and will remain an early evening target for the next few months. Map on page 5. Jupiter: Jupiter reaches conjunction on 23 December and will be lost in the Sun’s glow from late November. Jupiter is low on the western horizon shortly after sunset and will return as a morning object in the eastern sky late January. November is the last month in the current cycle to see the king of the planets during early evening. Map on page 6. Saturn: Saturn rises after midnight and will reward the determined astronomer. The rings are now tilted only 7° with respect to the earth and are still decreasing. This causes Saturn to appear fainter than usual. Map on page 3 and page 4. Uranus: Uranus is close to the meridian during the early evening and should be easy to see with binoculars or small telescopes. Under dark sky conditions, you may even see Uranus without optical aid. Map on page 7. Neptune: Neptune are more challenging than Uranus (2 magnitudes dimmer) but should be well within the reach of even small binoculars and telescopes. Map on page 7. Pluto: Pluto is positioned close to Jupiter and will be challenging to see even in the larger telescopes (you’ll need about an 11” telescopes under dark sky conditions). Pluto will dip below the horizon soon after sunset and are at conjunction on 21 December. Map on page 6. Microscopium a c u ti p M2 q Peacock Star α Ind li E 2 2h c l a E i 20h t Enif s e Capricornus l e Saturn Nebula (NGC 7009) C M73 Sappho vo M72 Pegasus Cluster (M15) NGC 6744 Equuleus NGC 6752 Telescopium Nausikaa Dabih M75 The Moon M55 Delphinus 1 8h θ Aql Sagittarius Barnard's Galaxy (NGC 6822) Little Gem (NGC 6818) Corona Australis Ascella Metis Veil Nebula (East), Network Nebula (NGC 6992) M54 τ Sgr a NGC 6397 Albaldah Veil Nebula (West) (NGC 6960) β Ara M70 Nunki Ara NGC 6541 Vesta Aquila M69 ϕ Sgr Altair Arkab Kaus Australis Vulpecula α Ara Tarazed Sagittarius Cluster (M22) δ Aql M71 NGC 6388 Kaus Meridianalis Dumbbell Nebula (M27) Sargas ι1 Sco Kaus Borealis Althalimain Alnasl M28 Girtab Ptolemy's Cluster (M7) M25 ScutumM26 Wild Duck Cluster (M11) Sagitta η Sco Shaula Black Swan (M18) Lesath Lagoon Nebula (M8) Omega Nebula (M17) Brocchi's Cluster (Coathanger Cluster) Butterfly Cluster (M6) Trifid Nebula (M20) Eagle Nebula (M16) Deneb el Okab NGC 6231 Albireo M23 μ1 Sco Serpens Caudaη Ser Scorpius Pluto M56 ν Oph θ Oph Jupiter 1 Wei 6 h Flickering Globular (M62) M19 M9 Sulafat Ring Nebula (M57) SW NW τ Sco Sabik M14 Lyra Antares Cebalrai Cat's Eye (M4) West Vega Al Niyat Ophiuchus M80 Rasalhague π Sco M10 M107 Han ° ° ° ° ° 0 5 3 Dschubba 1 5 0 5 - - 1 3 4 Viewing from Pretoria, South Africa Long: 28° 13' 24" Lat: -25° 43' 29" 2007/11/15 8:00:00 PM (Local) Chart centre (J2000): RA: 19h 1.366m Dec: -10° 34.788' Looking: west (25° above horizon) FOV: 100° Limiting Magnitude: 6.4 E NGC 1291 c C l h i e 2 Hygiea p le t i st c ia τ Cet l E q u Egeria a Fornax to r Fornax A (NGC 1316) -4 5° Victoria Cetus NGC 1365 Algenib NGC 1232 Pisces 41 Eri Cael Ausonia Alpheratz n The Phantom (M74) Cetus A (M77) ia id r e M Kaffalijidhma l ia t s e δ And Eri Zaurak l δ Eridanus e -3 C 0 ° Menkar Sheratan NGC 1535 Ceres ε Lep Hamal M79 Triangulum Galaxy, Pinwheel Galaxy (M33) Mirach Rasalmothallah M32 Aries M110 AndromedaAndromeda Galaxy (M31) Nihal μ Lep Lepusγ Lep Triangulum Arneb Flora β Tri λ Tau Rigel Cursa ζ Lep τ Ori Almach Amphitrite Tempel's Nebula,Taurus Merope Nebula (NGC 1435) 51 And Pleiades, Seven Sisters (M45) Algiebba Nair al Saif Saiph Irene π3 Ori Alcyone de Mairan’s Nebula (M43) Orion Nebula (M42) -1 5 ° Ampella θ2 Tau Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76) M34 ρ Per Mintaka ε Tau Aldebaran Alnilam Algol Alnitak Atik Bellatrix M78 Owl Cluster (NGC 457) Orion a Ruchbah M103 Perseus Meissa Perseus Double Cluster (NGC 869) ε Per Perseus Double Cluster (NGC 884) 4 3 1 60 5 0 5 ° γ Per Mirfak ° ° ° Betelgeuse Viewing from Pretoria, South Africa Long: 28° 13' 24" Lat: -25° 43' 29" 2007/11/15 9:00:00 PM (Local) Chart centre (J2000): RA: 3h 1.724m Dec: 8° 1.444' Looking: north east (40° above horizon) FOV: 100° Limiting Magnitude: 6.4 h 6 C h el 8 es ti al E - qu 30 E at ° clip or tic Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264) M48 ζ Tau Alzirr Crab Nebula (M1) Procyon Alhena CanisGomeisa Minor Propus, Tejat Prior M35 Tejat Posterior Elnath λ Gem Alphard Hydra Hassaleh Altarf Ghost of Jupiter, Eye Nebula (NGC 3242) Mebsuta Mars Wasat ε Hya M37 λ Hya M36 Gemini Eskimo Nebula, Clown Nebula (NGC 2392) ζ Hya M38 κ Gem King Cobra (M67) θ Aur -1 5 dus I Hoedus II θ Gem ° Pollux Eunomia Beehive Cluster (M44) Hebe Sextans Almaaz Auriga Castor Castor Cancer ο Leo Leto Capella Menkalinan NGC 2903 Regulus η Leo Laetitia NGC 3521 Ras Elased Australis Saturn M95 α Lyn γ2 Leo Algieba M96 Lynx M105 Aldhafera Leo Astraea Al Kaprah Talitha Leo Triplet 2 (M66) id Chertan, Chort er l M tia es el North C Leo Minor Zosma θ UMa Muscida Tania Borealis TaniaNE Australis NGC 2403 Denebola Camelopardalis 6 4 3 1 0 5 Alula Borealis 0 5 ° ° ° ° Viewing from Pretoria, South Africa Long: 28° 13' 24" Lat: -25° 43' 29" 2007/11/16 2:30:00 AM (Local) Chart centre (J2000): RA: 8h 41.583m Dec: 23° 53.350' Looking: north east (27° above horizon) FOV: 100° Limiting Magnitude: 6.4 C NGC 3766 E e c l li e p s t t ic i h a 0 l 1 E Blue Planetary (NGC 3918) q u a t o r Algieba Saturn Laetitia δ Cru α2 Cru Acrux Aldhafera M95 δ Cen Crux M96 NGC 3521 M105 Crater Gacrux Leo Mimosa, Becrux Jewel Box (NGC 4755) γ Cen γ Cen Minkar Chertan, Chort Astraea NGC 4945 Leo Triplet 2 (M66) Centaurus Zosma Gienah Hadar ε Cen Kraz M68 Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) CorvusAlgorab Iris Centaurus A (NGC 5128) -6 0 ° Denebola ι Cen Sombrero Galaxy (M104) ζ Cen Swelling Spiral (M61) Venus ν Cen M98 γ Hya M99 M49 Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83) M84 M100 Menkent α Lup M85 M88 ζ Lup M90 M58 n Auva η Cen dia M91 M60 eri Spica l M tia les Ce π Hya β Lup κ Cen Vindemiatrix NGC 4565 Coma Berenices Virgo Lupus ε Lup Blackeye Galaxy (M64) Heze δ Lup M53 γ Lup Mercury - 45 Cor Caroli Brachium ° NE IC 4182 η Lup Zubenelgenubi SE Canes Venatici Muphrid Sunflower Galaxy (M63) M3 East Libra Sun Arcturus π Sco Zubeneschamali Dschubba 4 3 - 1 1 -3 Wei 5 0 5 5 0 ° ° ° Scorp ° ° Viewing from Pretoria, South Africa Long: 28° 13' 24" Lat: -25° 43' 29" 2007/11/16 5:00:00 AM (Local) Chart centre (J2000): RA: 13h 7.144m Dec: -11° 47.186' Looking: east (24° above horizon) FOV: 100° Limiting Magnitude: 6.4 a u q Hygiea E l a i t s Algenib e l e C ε Gru Herculina β Gru 88 Aqr 22h Fomalhaut α Tuc C ele sti al Me Grus ridi Skat Uranus γ Psc IC 5152 Al Nair Piscis Austrinus Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) β Pav Aquarius γ Gru Urania Markab Prokne β Ind Indus Homam 20 h Pallas Peacock Star Thyra Scheat M30 Athamantis Deneb Algiedi Pegasus Sadal Bari Sadal Melik α Ind Nashira Microscopium Baham Matar Harmonia Neptune Sadal Suud Capricornus M2 Enif Telescopium Saturn Nebula (NGC 7009) M73 Sappho M72 Pegasus Cluster (M15) Equuleus Nausikaa M75 Dabih M55 The Moon Algedi (Al Giedi) α Tel Corona Australis 1 Sagittarius 8 ζ Cyg h Delphinus NGC 6541 Barnard's Galaxy (NGC 6822) Rotanev Ascella θ Aql Little Gem (NGC 6818) M54 τ Sgr M70 Metis Veil Nebula (East), Network Nebula (NGC 6992) Arkab Kaus Australis Nunki Albaldah Veil Nebula (West) (NGC 6960) Vesta ιSW1 Sco M69 ϕ Sgr Gienah ξ2 Sgr Alshain Girtab G Sco Kaus Meridianalis Aquila Altair Vulpecula ° Ptolemy's Cluster (M7) ° Sagittarius Cluster (M22) ° ° 0 5 3 Kaus Borealis 1 5 0 - - 1 3 Viewing from Pretoria, South Africa Long: 28° 13' 24" Lat: -25° 43' 29" 2007/11/15 10:00:00 PM (Local) Chart centre (J2000): RA: 21h 26.863m Dec: -15° 20.181' Looking: west (32° above horizon) FOV: 100° Limiting Magnitude: 6.4.
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