LAS Newsletter November 2014 Celestial Highlights LAS Meeting

LAS Newsletter November 2014

Celestial Highlights LAS Meeting Thursday November 20th at 7 pm Jupiter The presentation at the November 20th meeting will be “Visual Astronomy 101” by Jupiter rises just before midnight in the Mike Hotka. Mike's will share tips and discuss techniques he uses to decide what to observe, how to prepare for an observing outing, what to take with you when you go out, choosing where to go and what to do after returning home from the outing. The presentation will discuss many of the Astronomical League's Observing Programs that a beginning amateur can easily do as well as some of the more advanced programs.

Mike has been an amateur astronomer for many years and a member of LAS since 1995. During this time, Mike has earned many certificates completing Astronomical League Observing Programs. constellation Leo early in the month and by 10 pm at the end of the month. It is 2 The meeting will be at the IHop Restaurant, 2040 Ken Pratt Blvd in Longmont. magnitude in brightness and its apparent Please join us for dinner, coffee, or dessert before the meeting starting around 6 size grows from 36 arcsec to 40 arcsec pm. The presentation will begin at 7 pm. Following the Mike’s presentation we’ll across. Times to view or photograph the have a short business meeting and then discuss member images and other “Great Red Spot” at mid transit this month: current topics. Reminder, January elections are coming up, all positions are open. Nov 3 05:40 Alt 50° + Europa shadow transit Nov 6 03:10 Alt 41° Note: Here a list of Mike’s Astronomical League observing program awards: Messier, Messier Nov 7 04:49 Alt 59° + Ganymede shadow tran honorary, Double Star Binocular Messier Lunar, Deep Sky Binocular, Sunspotters, Caldwell Nov 8 04:49 Alt 59° Planetary Transit Herschel 400, Globular Cluster, Urban Observing, Solar System, Master Nov 10 06:27 Alt 66° Observer Award, Constellation Hunter Northern Skies, Earth Orbiting Satellite Observing, Lunar Nov 11 02:18 Alt 34° II, Outreach Award outreach, Comet Observers silver, Meteor Watchers honorary, Meteor Nov 13 03:57 Alt 53° Watchers regular, Universe Sampler, Herschel II, Outreach Award stellar, Planetary Nebula, Open Cluster Observing, Planetary Nebula, Comet Observers gold, Arp Peculiar Galaxy, Local Nov 13 03:57 Alt 53° Galaxy, Outreach Award master, Galileo, Galaxy Groups and Clusters, Dark Sky Advocate Nov 15 05:35 Alt 66° Award, Carbon Star, Binocular Double, Dark Nebula, Southern Arp, Peculiar Galaxy, Flat Nov 16 01:26 Alt 28° Galaxies Regular, Flat Galaxies Honorary, Planetary Transit Venus 2012, Asterism, Bright Nov 18 03:05 Alt 48° Nebula Advanced, and Hydrogen Alpha Solar. Nov 19 04:43 Alt 63° Nov 21 00:34 Alt 21° + Europa shadow transit Upcoming Public Star Parties Nov 22 06:21 Alt 64° Nov 23 02:13 Alt 42° + Io transit Scopes and volunteers needed to support the following school events: Nov 24 03:51 Alt 59° ● Legacy Elementary, 7701 Eagle Rd. in Frederick, CO on November 13th Nov 27 05:29 Alt 66° at 6 pm Nov 28 01:21 Alt 35° Nov 30 02:59 Alt 54° ● Northridge Elementary, 1200 19th Ave. in Longmont, CO on December 8 *Transits below 20° altitude are not shown. at 7 pm

Our Night Sky early November around 8 pm

Summer is gone. A chill now greets us when we go outside in the night air. A warm jacket and a comfortable hat are becoming required equipment. Looking east we recognize the constellation of Orion rising; the great square of Pegasus is high overhead; the stickhouse shape of Auriga is in the east. The vain queen queen of Greek mythology, Cassiopeia, is high overhead. Late fall in Colorado is great time to go observing with your telescope or maybe with just binoculars. The nights are generally clear and temperatures not so cold (though I recall some exceptions) as to preclude having a great time out in the dark.

Copyright © 2014 by Longmont Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Comets C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) is very low in the morning sky in constellation Lupus but getting higher each day. It is now magnitude 10.9 but should brighten to magnitude 7 by January.

C/2014 R1 (Borisov) is magnitude 11 and is currently moving through constellation Draco and then Ursa Minor about midmonth. See chart on the right.

Moon Full moon: Nov 6 4:23 pm MST Third quarter: Nov 14 09:15 am MST New moon: Nov 22 06:32 am MST First quarter: Nov 29 04:06 am MST

Mars Mars is still visible low in the southwest this month. It is about magnitude +1 and 5.3 arcsec across. Comet C/2014 R1 (Borisov) in November 2014

Uranus 20141102 11h49m03.1s +06°16'09" 20141117 12h43m09.7s +01°42'07" Uranus is visible in the evening this month in 20141103 11h52m41.3s +05°58'02" 20141118 12h46m43.2s +01°24'00" the constellation Pisces. It is 5.7 magnitude 20141104 11h56m19.3s +05°39'51" 20141120 12h53m48.5s +00°47'59" 20141105 11h59m57.2s +05°21'37" 20141121 12h57m20.3s +00°30'05" in brightness and 4 arcsec across. 20141106 12h03m34.9s +05°03'21" 20141122 13h00m51.5s +00°12'17" 20141107 12h07m12.3s +04°45'03" 20141123 13h04m22.1s 00°05'26" Neptune 20141108 12h10m49.6s +04°26'44" 20141124 13h07m52.1s 00°23'02" 20141109 12h14m26.5s +04°08'23" 20141125 13h11m21.4s 00°40'32" Neptune is visible in the evening sky in the 20141110 12h18m03.2s +03°50'03" 20141126 13h14m50.0s 00°57'55" constellation Aquarius. It is 7.8 magnitude in 20141111 12h21m39.6s +03°31'42" 20141127 13h18m17.8s 01°15'11" brightness and 2.5 arcsec across. 20141112 12h25m15.6s +03°13'22" 20141128 13h21m45.0s 01°32'19" 20141113 12h28m51.3s +02°55'03" 20141129 13h25m11.3s 01°49'19" 20141114 12h32m26.5s +02°36'45" 20141130 13h28m36.9s 02°06'10" Saturn 20141115 12h36m01.4s +02°18'30" 20141201 13h32m01.7s 02°22'53" Saturn is no longer visible as it is lost to us in 20141116 12h39m35.8s +02°00'17" * Position at 5 pm MST (0 UT) the bright evening twilight this month. October Meeting Mercury Twentysix people attended the October 16th meeting to hear Bill Possel’s Mercury is not visible this month. presentation, “MAVEN Arrives at Mars”. Bill is an excellent presenter and his talks are always interesting and informative but this one was exceptional. MAVEN launched on November 18, 2013 at its first launch window. Had the mission been

Venus delayed it would not have arrived at Mars in time to take advantage of the literally Venus is not visible this month. once in million year opportunity to study a comet as passes very near to a planet.

MAVEN’s three instrument packages will provide the measurements essential to Dark Sky understanding the evolution of the Martian atmosphere. MAVEN will study the types At the beginning of the month astronomical and amounts of gas particles escaping, the processes that govern the escape, and darkness begins at 6:34 pm MST and ends perhaps learn how the processes have contributed to changes in the climate. at 5:05 am MST. At the end of the month At the business meeting Michael Fellows presented the financial report LAS is astronomical darkness begins at 6:17 pm doing well financially and we now have 70 members. He brought in the 2015 Deep MST and ends at 5:33 am MST. Space Mysteries calendars for 2015. Please contact Mike at the next meeting to

renew your membership or renew online at www.longmontastro.org/membership

Early evening dark sky objects for midNovember

Moon will be in the third quarter by midmonth so we can resume some viewing and Meteor Showers imaging in dark skies in the early evening. Here is my list of objects to check out:

November is generally a good month for NGC 7293 Helix nebula in Aquarius viewing meteors but this year we will have to wait until full moonlight becomes less of a Ngc 7662 Blue Snowball in Andromeda problem around midmonth. The northern M33 Pinwheel galaxy in Andromeda Taurids meteor shower peaks on the night of M110 Dwarf elliptical galaxy in Andromeda M32 Dwarf elliptical galaxy in Andromeda Nov 1213. The Leonid meteor shower M31 Great Andromeda galaxy in Andromeda peaks on the night of Nov. 1718. NGC 7789 (OCL 269) in Cassiopeia NGC 7635 Bubble Nebula in Cassiopeia Asteroids NGC 281 (IC 1590) in Cassiopeia Hebe is at opposition on Nov 18 at mag 8.1 NGC 457 ET Cluster in Cassiopeia in constellation Eridanus M52 NGC 7654 Cassiopeia

RA: 03h47m31.4s, Decl: 08°54'11" M76 Little Dumbbell in Perseus

Thalia is at opposition on Nov 30 at mag 9.2 M74 Ngc 628 Pisces in constellation Taurus. RA: 04h36m42.1s, Decl:+23°05'25" NGC 253 Sculptor Galaxy in Sculptor

NGC 457 Chart NGC 457 ET Cluster by Gary Garzone

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