Upstate New York Stargazing – January, 2018

Author's Note: The "Upstate New York Stargazing" series ran on the newyorkupstate.com and syracuse.com websites (and limited use in-print) from 2016 to 2018. For the full list of articles, see the Upstate New York Stargazing page.

Upstate NY Stargazing in January: Supermoon, Quadrantids by moonlight, Uranus by binoculars

Light pillars over New Berlin, NY on Dec. 14. Photo courtesy of Nihal Dhanoa.

Published: Jan. 02, 2018, 4:12 p.m.

By Special to nyup.com

By Damian Allis | Contributing writer

The interest within the space science community about Martian habitability may leave you with the question, "Just how inhospitable is Mars?" A small part of the answer comes from Canada this past week, reporting that parts of North America were colder than Mars that same day. On Dec. 28, Gale Crater on Mars peaked at -23 C, while Montreal never cleared -24 C. While the Martian night will slip much lower in temperature, it is remarkable to consider that, despite the differences in mass, atmosphere, and distance from the Sun, there are at least two places in our Solar System where a person could be easily kept warm enough to complain about the cold.

New York winters afford us opportunities for both crystal-clear astronomy and interesting physics. Light pillars, what at first blush might look like the northern lights, occur when light from the ground reflects off of ice crystals in the atmosphere. The stunning image of the phenomenon shown above is likely powered by the Chobani Plant in New Berlin. Given the positions of the most prominent stars and the knowledge that the photo is from Dec. 14, one can even pull out a star chart and deduce that the shot was taken at around 9 p.m. from a point just south of the plant.

Lectures And Observing Opportunities In Upstate/Central New York

New York has a number of astronomers, astronomy clubs, and observatories that host public sessions throughout the year. Announced sessions from respondent NY astronomy organizations are provided below for January. As wind and cloud cover are always factors when observing, please check the provided contact information and/or email the groups a day-or-so before an announced session, as some groups will also schedule weather-alternate dates. Also use the contact info for directions and to check on any applicable event or parking fees. And bring one more layer of clothing than you think you are going to need!

Astronomy Events Calendar

OrganizerLocationEventDateTimeContact Info
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper Lake1st Friday ObservingJan. 57:00 PMemail, website
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper Lake3rd Friday ObservingJan. 197:00 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyAAAA MeetingJan. 187:30 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterMember MeetingJan. 57:30 – 9:30 PMemail, website
Baltimore WoodsMarcellusFinest Winter SkiesJan. 197:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalKAS Monthly MeetingJan. 37:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night ObservingJan. 57:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night ObservingJan. 127:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalWinter Skies TourJan. 197:00 – 11:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night ObservingJan. 267:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervilleMeetingJan. 107:30 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervillePublic Star GazingJan. 207:30 – 10:00 PMemail, website
Syracuse Astronomical SocietySyracuseLecture @ OCC & ObservingJan. 127:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website

Lunar Phases

Full MoonThird QuarterNew MoonFirst QuarterFull Moon
Jan. 1, 9:24 pmJan. 8, 5:25 pmJan. 16, 9:17 pmJan. 24, 5:20 pmJan. 31, 8:26 am

The Moon's increasing brightness as Full Moon approaches washes out fainter stars, random meteors, and other celestial objects – this is bad for most observing, but excellent for new observers, as only the brightest stars (those that mark the major constellations) and planets remain visible for your easy identification. If you've never tried it, the Moon is a wonderful binocular object. The labeled image identifies features easily found with low-power binoculars.

Lunar features prominent in low-power binoculars.

January begins and ends with a Full Moon. The first will likely ruin the Quadrantid meteor shower, but will also be the largest of the "supermoons" this year. The second Full Moon to occur in a given month is known as a "Blue Moon." The January Blue Moon will also qualify as a 2018 supermoon. While the descriptor "supermoon" meets with varying degrees of annoyance within the astronomical community, the closer-than-usual proximity of the Moon to the Earth on these occasions is interesting – and anyone with a camera and tripod can capture each Full Moon of the year and see these small differences in apparent size for themselves. You will also see reports of the first lunar eclipse of the year occurring on Jan. 31. For NY observers, this will begin near 6 a.m. Sadly, the eclipse for us ends too soon – Hawaii and much of Asia will see the total lunar eclipse, while those of us on the other side of the planet are instead treated to sunrise and a 7 a.m. moonset.

Observing Guides

Items and events listed below assume you're outside and observing most anywhere in New York. The longer you're outside and away from indoor or bright lights, the better your dark adaption will be. If you have to use your smartphone, find a red light app or piece of red acetate, else set your brightness as low as possible.

The sky at 9 p.m. on Jan. 15, accurate all month except for the changing Moon position.

Evening Skies: It took until December, but the Summer Triangle is finally no more in our pre-midnight sky. Early morning observers now see Vega and Deneb rising after 3 a.m. this month. The Winter Triangle – Sirius in Canis Major, Procyon in Canis Minor, and Betelgeuse in Orion – shares an edge with the much larger Winter Hexagon – Sirius, Procyon, Pollux in Gemini, Capella in Auriga, Aldebaran in Taurus, and Rigel in Orion.

With Orion and its cohort all above the horizon before midnight, learning eight constellations at once is as easy as following some lines within Orion's bowtie asterism.

Orion can guide you around its neighborhood. Red = belt stars to Sirius and Canis Major; Orange = Rigel and belt center to Castor and Pollux in Gemini; Yellow = Bellatrix and Betelgeuse to Canis Major; Green = Belt stars to Aldebaran and Taurus; Blue = Saiph and Orion's head to Capella in Auriga. Click for a larger view.

Morning Skies: There are no massive asterisms on the scale of the Winter Hexagon in the morning skies right now, but prominent and familiar shapes do abound. Moving from the Little Dipper to the Big Dipper, continue nearly the same distance to reach the hind end of Leo the Lion – look to the west for the backwards question mark that is its mane. In the same neck of the woods as the two Dippers is the Keystone asterism, marking the torso of the constellation Hercules.

The sky at 5 a.m. on Jan. 15, accurate all month except for the changing Moon position.

Planetary Viewing

Mercury: Mercury was easiest to see on Dec. 28th and is now rising a few minutes later each morning. Your best chances to see it are close to 6:30 a.m., very low on the southeast horizon, during the first two weeks of January. It will next be visible after sunset in early March, when it makes for an excellent pairing with Venus.

Venus: Venus is not easily, nor safely, observable until February, when it returns as an observing target soon after sunset.

Mars and Jupiter: Mars and Jupiter come as an unmissable pair in the early morning skies this month. Mars rises before Jupiter in Libra the Scales from the 1st to the 6th around 3:30 a.m., after which it slides past Jupiter and becomes the later arrival. Mars will move swiftly through Libra this month, just grazing the Libra/Scorpius border on Jan. 31. Jupiter and Mars will make for an excellent close pairing on the 6th and 7th, followed by a close grouping with the Moon on the 11th.

Mars and Jupiter this month, with the Moon position shown on the 11th.

Those with even poor-quality binoculars are able to see the four bright satellites of Jupiter – known as the "Galilean Moons" for their first observer – and the appearance of Jupiter as a disc of light instead of a simple pinpoint like all stars. Many websites, including the Jupiter's Moons webapp at Sky & Telescope, can provide you with the real-time and future positions of the fast-moving moons for any viewing opportunity you get this and every month.

When the weather doesn't cooperate, the NASA Juno mission (tw,fb) continues to impress with hard science and beautiful images.

Saturn: Saturn rises earlier each morning this month, making for an excellent observing target for morning observers with Mars and Jupiter after 6 a.m. after the 20th. Saturn will continue to rise earlier each morning and be visible at some point in the nighttime sky until October.

ISS And Other Bright Satellites

Satellite flyovers are commonplace, with several bright passes easily visible per hour in the nighttime sky, yet a thrill to new observers of all ages. Few flyovers compare in brightness or interest to the International Space Station. The flyovers of the football field-sized craft with its massive solar panel arrays and six current occupants can be predicted to within several seconds and take several minutes to complete.

The ISS is up in the morning before many of us until the 17th, when it disappears for a week before becoming an evening target on the 24th through the end of the month. There are six chances to see the ISS twice before starting your day, although you will have to start extra early all six times to catch these morning pairings.

ISS Flyovers

DateBrightnessApprox. StartStart Direct.Approx. EndEnd Direct.
1/1somewhat4:59 AME/NE5:00 AME/NE
1/1very6:32 AMW/NW6:36 AMNE
1/2very5:42 AMN/NE5:44 AMNE
1/3very6:24 AMNW6:28 AMNE
1/4moderately5:34 AMN/NE5:35 AMNE
1/5moderately6:16 AMN/NW6:19 AMNE
1/6moderately5:26 AMN/NE5:27 AMNE
1/6very6:59 AMNW7:04 AME/NE
1/7moderately6:08 AMNNW6:11 AMNE
1/8moderately5:18 AMN/NE5:19 AMNE
1/8very6:51 AMNW6:57 AME
1/9very6:00 AMN6:04 AME/NE
1/10moderately5:10 AMNE5:11 AME/NE
1/10exceptionally6:42 AMNW6:48 AME/SE
1/11very5:52 AMN5:56 AME
1/12moderately5:02 AME/NE5:03 AME/NE
1/12exceptionally6:34 AMW/NW6:40 AMSE
1/13exceptionally5:44 AMN5:47 AME/SE
1/14somewhat4:54 AME4:55 AME
1/14very6:26 AMW6:31 AMS/SE
1/15exceptionally5:36 AMS5:39 AMSE

Predictions courtesy of heavens-above.com. Times later in the month are subject to shifts – for accurate daily predictions, visit spotthestation.nasa.gov.

Meteor Showers: Quadrantids, From Dec. 28 to Jan. 12, Peaking Jan. 3

Meteor showers are the result of the Earth passing through the debris field of a comet or asteroid. As these objects approach the warming sun in their orbits, they leave tiny bits behind, usually no larger than grains of sand. The Earth plows through the swarm of these tiny particles at up-to 12 miles-per-second. High in the upper atmosphere, these particles burn up due to friction and ionize the air around them, producing the long light trails we see. We can predict the peak observing nights for a meteor shower because we know when and where in Earth's orbit we'll pass through these debris fields – this yearly periodicity is what let us identify and name meteor showers well before we ever had evidence of what caused them.

The Quadrantids radiant near the Big and Little Dippers, with the location of Quadrans Muralis marked out as well. Click for a larger view.

The name of each meteor shower is based on the constellation from which the shooting stars appear to radiate – a position in the sky we call the radiant. The Quadrantids are one of the few meteor showers named after a constellation that is no longer recognized by the professional astronomical community. Quadrans Muralis, the quadrant, was an addition to the nighttime sky by French astronomer Jerome Lalande back in 1795. While the quadrant, a wall-mounted instrument for measuring the angles of celestial objects, was a vital tool to astronomers of the day, the constellation never made it past the final vote at the 1922 Convention of the International Astronomical Union. For those who have never explored the history and politics of the constellations, let the quadrantids serve as a yearly reminder.

How to observe: Sadly, the Quadrantid peak this year will be washed out by the near-full Moon, making this otherwise reasonably active meteor shower a difficult one to enjoy. If you insist on braving the cold, lie as flat as possible with your feet pointed towards the radiant and your head elevated – meteors will then appear to fly right over and around you.

Those interested in seeing a full list should check out the American Meteor Society meteor shower calendar.

Learn A Constellation: Pisces

Pisces, with the Great Square of Pegasus marked to its side, and Uranus within a binocular field of view.

Those keeping track of the planetary descriptions in this series will note that, with the very rarest of exceptions, the planets you can see without any equipment are always within one of the twelve Zodiacal Constellations. This is not a coincidence!

If the Solar System were a dinner plate on a table, the eight planets would all be variously-sized morsels – peas, olives, meatballs – orbiting around a massive grapefruit at the center. As we moved once around the plate and scan the rest of the dining room, we might see a chair directly opposite the grapefruit, then a picture hanging on the wall, then an archway into the kitchen, then another chair, then other prominent objects in the distance until we'd made one complete revolution around the grapefruit – after which we'd see the same objects in the same positions during our second and future trips around the plate. Because we're all on the same plate, all of the other planetary morsels will appear between ourselves and the prominent objects we identified in our trip around the grapefruit, changing which prominent object they appear to be in front of based on how fast they – and we – are moving around the plate.

In keeping with the festive season and the foodie theme, we begin a survey of the Zodiacal Constellations at the western horizon this month with one of several Zodiac signs easily paired with wine. The prominent stars of Pisces the Fishes have been parts of constellations since Babylonian days, but were not solidly recorded in the Western astronomy tradition as fish until about 1,000 B.C.E. Its shape is roughly that of two fish tied together by a rope. Piscis Boreus, the Northern Fish, is the triangle close to the nearby Aries. Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish, is a pentagon of stars that share a border with Aquarius. Depending on your light pollution, neither shape may be very prominent in your sky – the Great Square of Pegasus, close to the horizon in the early evening this month, may serve as a brighter guide.

We start with Pisces this month for a very good reason. If Pisces were a clam instead of a fish, binocular observers with steady hands and good optics are treated to a greenish-blue pearl close to the hinge of the clamshell. The distant planet Uranus, the fourth largest, seventh farthest from the Sun, and bitterly cold gas giant planet, was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel. This discovery is important for two reasons. First, Uranus can only been seen without binoculars or telescope under the absolute best of observing conditions – and some amateur astronomers would even say "that's nuts." For all of human history, only Mercury-to-Saturn were known as planets to astronomers, astrologers, and anyone else until Herschel's discovery. Second, Herschel knew where to limit his observations thanks to Isaac Newton, whose revolutionary physics of the time explained why the Solar System is a flat disc of planets – and why one would only reasonably expect to find planets in the same region of the sky as the known planets – that region defined by the stars of the Zodiac.

Uranus may serve to be a difficult catch even under good conditions, but seeing this planet with your own eyes is a great way to start your observing for 2018.

Dr. Damian Allis is the director of CNY Observers and a NASA Solar System Ambassador. If you know of any NY astronomy clubs or events to promote, please contact the author.

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Upstate New York Stargazing – November, 2016

Author's Note: The "Upstate New York Stargazing" series ran on the newyorkupstate.com and syracuse.com websites (and limited use in-print) from 2016 to 2018. For the full list of articles, see the Upstate New York Stargazing page.

November Stargazing in Upstate NY: Catch the sometimes roaring Leonids

A 30 second exposure of the International Space Station above Lake Ontario and just past the Big Dipper (left). Photo by Don Chamberlin, member of ASRAS-Rochester Astronomy Club.

Updated: Mar. 22, 2019, 12:53 a.m. | Published: Oct. 31, 2016, 3:13 p.m.

(Special to Syracuse.com)

By Damian Allis | Contributing writer

There are some at observing sessions who, upon seeing a satellite for the first time, marvel at just how bright something so small and far away can be. There are several individual high-fliers and families of orbiting objects, and you can use such websites as heavens-above.com, n2yo.com, and spaceweather.com/flybys/ to predict their paths with great accuracy. You need not do your homework, however. Anyone with decent night vision will see satellites jump out against the backdrop of stationary stars all night long, moving swiftly until they set below the horizon, enter Earth's shadow, or reorient their solar panels.

With a sturdy tripod and a camera that can do long exposures – and we're only talking 15 seconds or more – you can catch the trails of bright satellites from urban locations. If your timing is right, you might even try for a combination satellite/airplane flyover. With a long exposure, the satellite will produce a long, continuous light trail, while the flashing lights of the airplane will produce a bright dotted line.

The image above is one such example of a well-placed International Space Station (ISS) flyover, complete with the bright stars of the most famous asterism in the Northern Hemisphere – The Big Dipper. Thanks to the long exposure, it is even possible to see that some of the stars are slightly red-orange and not just pure white pinpoints of light. Thanks to some straightforward physics, we know that our photographer opened his shutter at 7:49:57 p.m. and closed it at 7:50:27 p.m., and we could have figured out the exact day and time from the recent orbits of the ISS even if we didn't know that the picture was taken on Oct. 12.

Your First Steps Outside:

The view looking south at 9:00 p.m. on November 15th (except for the changing Moon position, this mid-month view is accurate for all of November).

NOTE: Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 6th. Because of this, reported times for some month-long events listed below will be one hour earlier starting on the Nov. 6. To account for this difference, certain reported times below are in a [before the 6th]/[after the 6th] format, while other times correctly account for the time change.

Items and events listed below assume you're outside and observing between 8 p.m. and midnight throughout November anywhere in New York state. The longer you're outside and away from indoor or bright lights, the better your dark adaption will be. If you have to use your smartphone, find a red light app or piece of red acetate, else set your brightness as low as possible.

Mars and Terebellum help mark globular cluster M75.

Mars: Mars will follow the horizon close to [10]/[9] p.m. all month long before setting, sliding from the southwest to the west in the process. It remains the most accessible, although not the most prominent, planet in the skies this month. Starting October 30th, Mars and the faint globular cluster M75 will be in the same field of view of a pair of 10×50 binoculars. Closest approach will occur on the night of November 7th, although the Moon that night will not make your observation of M75 easy. You can use Mars and the four stars of the tiny, ancient asterism Terebellum to help orient yourself. For a refresher on globular clusters, check out the October article.

Saturn, Venus, and the Moon on November 2nd just after sunset.

Venus: Observers unimpressed with the recent temperature change can still get some early planetary viewing in. Venus remain unmistakable to the southwest soon after sunset, making an early exit from the night sky at the beginning of the month around [7:45]/[6:45] p.m. Thanks to our relative positions in our respective orbits, we'll even be gaining about one minute of additional Venus viewing each night. By month's end, Venus will set below the SW horizon just before 7:30 p.m.

Saturn: What we gain in Venus viewing we lose in Saturn viewing. Saturn has been setting just after Venus recently, but will hit the horizon at the same time on Nov. 2, when Venus, Saturn, and the very young waxing crescent moon make for a pleasant grouping. Catch this soon after sunset, as we lose the whole group to the horizon before 7:30 p.m. Chances to catch Saturn all but end by Nov. 15, when it sets just before 6 p.m.

The last good month for seeing the Summer Triangle.

The Summer Triangle: If it was not already apparent that we're not in Summer anymore, the Summer Triangle becomes the Summer Line in pre-midnight skies this month. Our summertime southern-pointing star Altair in the constellation Aquila now sets just north of due-West earlier and earlier this month, leaving Deneb in Cygnus and the brilliant Vega in Lyra. Vega itself will drop below the horizon before midnight by mid-month, marking the transition of Cygnus the Swan into what some refer to as the Northern Cross, with Cygnus now diving head-first into the horizon to leave its wings and back-end standing upright to the west/northwest. For a refresher on the Summer Triangle, see the August and September articles in this series.

The unmistakable Orion, rising before 11:00 p.m. this month, and neighboring constellations.

Orion, Taurus, And The Pleiades: Winter's best now make grand appearances before midnight, featuring the two closest open clusters to our Solar System. Unlike the dense globular clusters described in last month's article, open clusters contain only 10's to 100's of stars that are all gravitationally bound to one another. You can think of "open" here as referring to all of the open, dark space you can see between member stars. The Pleiades, the second-closest open star cluster to Earth, rises above the Eastern horizon after 7/6 p.m. in early November and comfortably before sunset by month's end. Following about an hour behind the Pleiades is the head of Taurus the Bull. The distinctive V-shaped head is composed of the bright red-orange star Aldebaran and "all the other" stars – this final collection of remaining notable-but-not-as-prominent stars are themselves called the Hyades and are the closest open star cluster to Earth. Contrary to some representations you might see, Aldebaran is not, in fact, a gravitationally-bound member of this cluster – it is much closer to Earth than the Hyades cluster and just happens to be placed in just the right spot to turn an otherwise less-impressive "checkmark" shape into a more distinctive "V" shape. Orion rises soon after Taurus and looks like a massive bowtie as it comes over the horizon. Only after it has fully cleared the horizon does it begin to take on the image of a human figure instead of human formal wear.

Early Riser Alert:

Jupiter: Jupiter rises above the Eastern horizon near 5:30 a.m. on Nov 1st and by 4:00 a.m. at month's end. Its four Galilean Moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – are all visible in low-power binoculars when Jupiter rises, but are washed out early by sunlight even before sunrise approaches. Jupiter and the very waning crescent moon will make a very nice pairing after 4:00 a.m. on November 25th. The next prominent change to the early morning sky will not occur until mid-February, when Saturn makes its reappearance in the sky after its November departure at sunset.

November Observing Opportunities In Upstate/Central New York:

New York has a number of evenly-spaced astronomers, astronomy clubs, and observatories that host sessions throughout the year. Many of these sessions are free and open to the public, often close to the New Moon when skies are darkest and the chance for seeing deep, distant objects is greatest. These observers and facilities are the very best places to see the month's best objects using some of the best equipment, all while having very knowledgeable observers at your side to answer questions and guide discussion. Many of these organizations also hold monthly meetings, where seasoned amateurs can learn about recent news and discoveries from guest lecturers, and brand new observers are encouraged to join and begin the path towards seasoned amateur status.

Announced public sessions from several respondent NY astronomy organizations are provided below for November. As wind and cloud cover are always factors when observing, please check the website links or email the groups for directions, to find out about any fees, and to double-check about an event the day of the announced session. Also note that some groups will include weather-alternate dates for scheduled sessions.

Astronomy Events Calendar

OrganizerLocationEventDateTimeContact Info
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic Star GazingNov. 46:30 PMemail, website
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic Star GazingNov. 185:30 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyOctagon Barn Star Party & LectureNov. 47:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyStar Party at Grafton LakesNov. 47:30 – 11:30 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyStar Party at Landis ArboretumNov. 25, 268:00 – 10:00 PMemail, website
Baltimore WoodsMarcellusPublic Viewing With Bob PiekielNov. 4/57:00 – 9:30 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestal"What is inside Jupiter?" Lecture And Public ViewingNov. 47:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalObserving @ Barnes & NobleNov. 56:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestal"High Performance Computing" Lecture And Public ViewingNov. 117:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalObserving @ Barnes & NobleNov. 126:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestal"Water from Rain" Lecture And Public ViewingNov. 187:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalObserving @ Barnes & NobleNov. 196:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestal"Black Holes on Black Friday" Lecture And Public ViewingNov. 257:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalObserving @ Barnes & NobleNov. 256:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervillePublic Star GazingNov. 57:30 PM – 12:00 AMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervillePublic Star GazingNov. 127:30 PM – 12:00 AMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervillePublic Star GazingNov. 197:30 PM – 12:00 AMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervillePublic Star GazingNov. 267:30 PM – 12:00 AMemail, website

ISS And Other Bright Flyovers:

Satellite flyovers are commonplace, with several bright passes per hour, yet a thrill to new observers of all ages. Few flyovers compare in brightness or interest to the International Space Station. The flyovers of the football-sized craft with its massive solar panel arrays can be predicted to within several seconds and take several minutes to complete.

The ISS this month is going to be an excellent morning target, but will not make any appearance in the evening sky until month's end. On the bright side, December will see several bright evening passes early in the month. Simply go out a few minutes before the start time, orient yourself, and look for what will at first seem like a distant plane.

ISS fly-bys

DateBrightnessApprox. StartStart DirectionApprox. EndEnd Direction
11/1very7:08 AMSW7:14 AME/NE
11/2moderately6:16 AMSSW6:21 AME
11/3extremely6:59 AMW/SW7:06 AMNE
11/4very6:08 AMS/SW6:13 AME/NE
11/5very6:51 AMW6:57 AMNE
11/6extremely5:01 AMN5:04 AMNE
11/7very5:44 AMW/NW5:48 AMNE
11/8moderately4:53 AMN/NE4:55 AMNE
11/9moderately5:36 AMN/NW5:39 AMNE
11/10moderately4:45 AMN/NE4:46 AMNE
11/10moderately6:18 AMNW6:23 AMNE
11/11moderately5:27 AMN/NW5:30 AMNE
11/12moderately6:10 AMNW6:15 AME/NE
11/13moderately5:19 AMN5:22 AMNE
11/14moderately6:01 AMNW6:06 AME
11/15moderately5:10 AMN5:13 AME/NE
11/16very5:52 AMNW5:58 AME/SE
11/17very5:02 AMNNE5:05 AME
11/18extremely5:44 AMW/NW5:49 AMSE
11/19very4:54 AME4:56 AME/SE
11/19moderately6:27 AMW6:31 AMS
11/20very5:36 AMW/SW5:39 AMS/SE
11/21moderately4:46 AMSE4:47 AMSE
11/28somewhat6:24 PMS6:25 PMS
11/29somewhat7:06 PMSW7:07 PMSW
11/30very6:14 PMS/SW6:16 PMS/SE

Predictions courtesy of heavens-above.com.

Moon: Lunar Phases

New:First Quarter:Full:Third Quarter:New:
Oct. 30, 1:30 PMNov. 7, 2:51 PMNov. 14, 8:52 AMNov. 21, 3:33 AMNov. 29, 7:18 AM

The moon's increasing brightness as full moon approaches washes out fainter stars, random meteors, and other celestial objects – this is bad for most observing, but excellent for new observers, as only the brightest stars (those that mark the major constellations) and planets remain visible for your easy identification. If you've never tried it, the moon is a wonderful binocular object.

Meteor Showers: Leonids, Peaking Nov. 16-18

Meteor showers are the result of the Earth passing through the debris field of a comet or asteroid. As these objects approach the warming sun in their long orbits, they leave tiny bits behind – imagine pebbles popping out the back of a large gravel truck on an increasingly bumpy road. In the case of meteor showers, the brilliant streaks you see are due to particles no larger than grains of sand. The Earth plows through the swarm of these tiny particles at up-to 12 miles-per-second. High in the upper atmosphere, these particles burn up due to friction and ionize the air around them, producing the long light trails we see. We can predict the peak observing nights for a meteor shower because we know when and where in Earth's orbit we'll pass through the same part of the Solar System – this yearly periodicity in meteor activity is what let us identity and name meteor showers well before we ever had evidence of what caused them.

The name of each meteor shower is based on the constellation from which the shooting stars appear to radiate – a position in the sky we call the radiant. In the case of the Leonids, the meteor shower radiant appears to be just within Leo the Lion's mane, which rises from the east after midnight this month. The meteor shower itself is provided to us by Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, whose 33-year orbit will return it to the inner solar system in 2031.

Leo rises in the very early morning this month. To fully orient yourself, look for a backward question mark (in green) that marks Leo's mane.

How to observe: The Leonids can be impressive and impressively bright, with up-to 15 meteors per hour expected. Sadly, the Moon will be prominent in the late-night/early-morning sky during the days around the Leonid peak, making for a far less impressive display.

Leo marks the position of the meteor shower radiant, meaning the meteors themselves will seem to shoot roughly from the east to the west. To optimize your experience, lie flat on the ground with your feet pointed east and your head elevated – meteors will then appear to fly right over and around you. Counts and brightness tend to increase the later you stay out, with peak observing times usually between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The swarm of tiny particles is distributed broadly in orbit, meaning some people may see shooting stars associated with the Leonids during the middle and end of the month.

Learn A Constellation: Cygnus

The constellation Cygnus the Swan has reared its beak in the August and September articles, as its tail star Deneb is one of the corners of the Summer Triangle. If we imagine its wings fully expanded, the body of Cygnus happens to line up very well with the plane of the galaxy. When we look at the body and long neck, we're taking a look into the thicket of the spiral arm that is our nesting place in the Milky Way.

Cygnus and surroundings.

Cygnus is a prominent constellation in a busy part of the nighttime sky – but its placement right above us during prime summer observing hours makes binocular viewing a literal pain in the neck. As mid-autumn gives way to late autumn, Cygnus reaches the western sky during more reasonable observing hours, giving us a far more comfortable opportunity to explore this part of the galaxy.

The easiest way to find Cygnus is to search for the Summer Triangle itself – which for many eyes will mean finding the bright star Vega in Lyra the Harp first. For this, simply orient your head to the west/northwest, keeping in mind that the brilliantly bright Venus to the southwest will *not* be the star you're looking for in the early evening. With Vega and Lyra found, the distinctive cross shape should jump out at you to Vega's upper left. Deneb will be the bright east-pointing tip, followed by Sadr at the crossroads. Glenah and Rukh make up the joint in the wings, while Albireo marks the swan's head. Albireo is itself a pleasant big bino/telescope object, as it splits into two stars upon sufficient magnification, with one a pronounced red/orange and the other giving off a slight blue twinge to most eyes.

A distant view of tiny M29 (slooh.com) and a high-resolution view of M39.

For significant deep sky objects, we continue with the open cluster theme begun with the Hyades and Pleiades in Taurus the Bull. M29 is a small open cluster just to the left of Sadr – a dim object requiring magnification and eagle eyes to really take in. The open cluster M39 lies above Deneb. With Deneb in your sights, identify a bright triangle taking up much of the field of view of your binoculars. Use the star farthest from Deneb as an anchor to slide the binos up to search for a small grouping of dim stars.

Those with a keen imagination are welcome to take a gander just to the south of the star half-way between Sadr and Albireo. You won't be able to see it, but marked in the image above is the location of the first X-ray source ever classified as a black hole – the existence of which made for a long-running game of gravitational chicken between famed physicists Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne. These two and other astrophysicists, as well as most progressive rock fans, know this object as Cygnus X-1.

Beyond M29, M39, a black hole, and its prime position along the Milky Way, you can add one more feather to the cap of Cygnus. The green squares in the image above mark the location where the NASA Kepler Mission undertook a multi-year survey for extrasolar planets, finding (so far) over 2,300 of the 3,200 confirmed extrasolar planets in our Milky Way – a search for which astronomers are just getting started. When you look to the northern wing of Cygnus, consider how many exoplanets this telescopic fox captured in only nearby stars, then consider how small a patch of the night sky this galactic hen house represents.

Dr. Damian Allis is the director of CNY Observers and a NASA Solar System Ambassador. If you know of any other NY astronomy events or clubs to promote, please contact the author.

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