November Nights

November gets off to a great start with the beautiful pairing of Venus and a thin crescent Moon. Look low in the southwest just after sunset on the 1st. Venus is astoundingly bright and should be the first point of light you’ll notice as the sky begins to darken.

Higher in the sky and to the left of Venus and the Moon is the bright planet Jupiter. On the 2nd of November, the Moon will be almost directly between the two planets, and on the 3rd, the Moon will appear close by Jupiter.

Keep watching the Moon from night to night to track its changing location in the sky as well as its constantly changing phases. In one month the Moon will have gone completely around the Earth. On December 1st, these three objects will appear even closer together, forming a pretty triangle in the evening twilight.

Don’t forget that Daylight Saving Time ends early on the morning of November 2nd. If you go out at 6:45 PM on the 1st to look for Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon, you’ll want to go out at 5:45 PM on the 2nd to make the comparison.

All three of these objects are worthy targets for a small telescope. During a crescent Moon, craters and mountains cast long shadows on the lunar surface. This makes it easier to pick out details. By comparison, the full Moon looks a little ‘flat’ in a telescope because the shadows are relatively short. Details don’t stand out nearly as well.

Meanwhile, try spying Jupiter’s four largest moons through binoculars or a small telescope. Watch over several nights as the moons orbit Jupiter. Some nights you might see only two or three of them. The others may be in front of or behind the giant planet.

In a telescope, Venus looks round and bright with no details to be seen. Look carefully though - is it really perfectly round? Just like the Moon, Venus goes through phases. This month, Venus shows us a ‘gibbous’ phase - more than half illuminated, but not quite full.

Whether you own a telescope or not, join us for one of the FREE public star parties scheduled throughout the year. If you are thinking about buying a telescope for yourself or as a gift, be sure to attend the Telescope Talk described below.

Hubble Highlights

The Hubble Space Telescope is awaiting a journey once again! After two weeks of engineering reviews, NASA managers have decided to put the telescope into electronic hibernation.

On September 27, 2008, the science data formatter malfunctioned. This unit relays commands to the telescope’s science instruments and prepares recorded observations from the instruments to be sent to Earth.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis was scheduled to launch in early October to perform the fourth and final servicing mission for the Hubble Telescope. The launch has been delayed until February 2009 so that a replacement unit can be prepared for installation.

When the servicing mission is complete, the Hubble Telescope will have six new gyroscopes, new batteries, two instruments repaired, and two completely new cameras. The only parts of the telescope that remain from when it was first launched in 1990 are the tube and the primary and secondary mirrors.

Upcoming Star Parties

The next FREE public star party is scheduled for Saturday, November 8, from 8-10 PM at Shelby Bottoms Park with another scheduled for Saturday, December 13 from 7:30 - 9:30 PM at Edwin Warner Park.

Registration is required for the Shelby Bottoms star party. Call (615) 862-8539 to reserve your place!

Telescope targets for the November star party will include a crescent Moon, Jupiter, the Pleiades star cluster, and the Andromeda Galaxy. There won't be any planets to see during December's star party, but be prepared for fascinating deep-sky objects like galaxies, nebulae and star clusters. Members of the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society (BSAS) will set up their telescopes to provide views of these and more.

Check here for driving directions and helpful tips for enjoying a star party. If it is cloudy or raining, the star party will be canceled. If the weather is questionable, consult our home page or call Astroline at (615) 401-5092 before leaving home.

Most importantly, dress warmly, in multiple layers. It will be very cold!

Telescope Talk

How do you buy a telescope? Should you buy a telescope? What are the best gifts for an astronomy fan? Dr. Spencer Buckner of Austin Peay State University will address these questions and more at Adventure Science Center on Thursday, November 20, starting at 7:30 PM.

Dr. Buckner’s talk is part of November’s monthly meeting of the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society. You don’t need to be a BSAS member to enjoy his talk, but if you’d like to learn more about joining Nashville’s astronomy club, visit www.bsasnashville.com.