The Planets:
Mercury:  Mercury reaches superior conjunction (opposite side of the solar system) with the Sun at mid-month, so is not visible to us.

Venus:  Early risers can find Venus during the last 3 weeks of the month.  Look to the East before sunrise to find the bright beautiful planet residing in the constellation of Virgo.  On November 30, Venus will be slightly below Mars.

Mars:  Mars is also for early risers in November.  The Red Planet can be found about 5 AM in the eastern sky.  The best view of the planet will come on November 30, when Mars is within 3 degrees above the planet Venus.

Jupiter:  Jupiter is shining brightly in the constellation of Cancer the Crab about 1 AM in the eastern sky.  By the end of the month, Jupiter is rising about 11 PM.  A third-quarter Moon shares a beautiful picture of Jupiter on November 25.

Saturn:  The ringed planet rises about 9 PM at the beginning of November, and is located at the very tip of Orion's club.  By the end of November, it is rising around 7 PM.  On November 22, watch Saturn and the Moon travel across the night sky from East to West.  By 6 AM, they will be side by side about 40 degrees above the western horizon.  (Remember, your fist held at arm's length is 10 degrees wide!)

The Moon:  On the evening of November 19, skywatchers can watch a penumbral eclipse of the Moon, when the Moon will slip into the penumbral (partially lit) shadow cast by the Earth.  This is not a total eclipse, because the moon does not enter the darkest (umbral) part of Earth's shadow!  The change in the Moon's appearance will be subtle, but you might notice the northern limb of the Moon getting darker and more yellow.  The eclipse begins at 5:32 PM CST, reaching its maximum at 7:47 PM CST.

Storm Warning!  When Comet Temple-Tuttle passes through our solar system every 33.2 years, it sheds a ribbon of dusty debris.  Earth, revolving around the sun, crosses through this cometary debris trail, resulting in this month's famous Leonid meteor shower. There will be two displays.  People in New England and parts of Canada will see the first one as Earth encounters the trail left behind in 1767.  About 3 AM on November 19, Earth will hit another trail deposited by the comet in 1866, and all of North and Central America will see this one!  How many will we see?  Estimates by astronomers are running into the thousands!  Unfortunately, we have a moon that is almost full, so the dimmer meteors will wash out, but keep in mind that this shower provides many very bright and fast-moving meteors!  The shower radiates from the center of the head of Leo the Lion, whose head is shaped like a backward question mark.  Leo rises in the eastern sky about 3 AM.  A better view can be obtained by turning off all exterior lights.  Of course, the best viewing is away from the light pollution of the city.  No matter where you are, go out…. and be ready!  This is your last change to see a display like this until the year 2033!

Constellations:  Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Phoenix, Pisces, Sculptor, Tucana

Looking for a Little More?  If this Skyline whets your appetite, try this website:  skymaps.com/downloads.html.  It offers a two page pdf brochure that you can print out for free.  It has a basic skymap and short lists of visual, binocular, and small telescope objects.  It is really good--check it out!