What Happened in October?

I Have No Idea! I am not commenting upon what happened at our October event because at the time that I am writing this, it has not yet happened. It is/was the Halloween event in Elephant Butte. I am certain that there was a fantastic and healthy potluck meal of candy corn, raisinettes, pumpkin tacos with deep fried Snickers bars. There probably were many attending ghouls and vampires. This is, however, only conjecture.

What's Happening in November?

Pre-Thanksgiving weekend at Mira Vista in Marana, AZ.

The weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday, we will gather at the beautiful Mira Vista Resort in Marana, AZ for swimming, soaking, eating, water volleyballing, eating, dancing, vegging out, eating and enjoying that wonderful place.

Let SunTree know if you plan to attend so that we can plan on potlucks or other activities to fit the numbers who show up.

Make your reservations for lodging or RV hookup directly with the Mira Vista Resort at 520 744 2355.

November Celestial Events

More Meteors - Venus Goes on Vacation - Saturn Reopens His Rings

Evening: Mars makes an attempt to fancy up a rather boring part of the sky early in the month. On the first, Mars rises just before midnight (after most of the trick-or-treaters have gone home to prepare their future gifts for their dentists). Mars is bright at magnitude 0.4 in a section of the sky that is somewhat dark. You will probably need a telescope to see the fuzzy cloud of stars known as the Beehive Star Cluster forming a background for bright Mars. A few days later, on 8 November, the Moon will meet up with Mars to help you find that warrior. Mars will get brighter through the month but will move into the early morning sky only viewable by the owls. At the end of the month, Mars will break the magnitude zero limit and will join the ranks of the top-five brightest objects in the sky.

On the opposite side of the sky will be that old gasbag, Jupiter. Jupiter will be at his highest part of the sky at nightfall and will set about 10 PM. The Moon will help you locate Jupiter on 23 November when it has a tête-à-tête that evening.

Morning: The dazzling light in the predawn sky is lovely Venus. She will be dropping into the bright glow of the rising sun soon. Enjoy her beauty (at magnitude -3.9) while you can because she is giving up her role as morning “star” this month when she takes a vacation to the far side of the solar system out of sight from those of us on Spaceship Earth. She will be making preparations for her debut at the new and conspicuous evening “star” scheduled for an opening performance in April 2010

If you are familiar with the zodiacal households, then look for the constellation of Virgo, high in the morning sky. That is where you will find a magnitude 1.0 Saturn shining brightly for early risers. You can find Saturn about four hours prior to sunrise about half-way up the dome of the sky. The crescent Moon will pay a visit to Saturn on 12 November. The rings are starting to open up a bit until in mid-month they should be almost as open as they were last May. Apparently Saturn sort of likes living in Virgo because he has taken out a three year lease in that constellation.

There are three “major” meteor showers in November with the Taurid Shower peaking around Halloween (shower continues through 7 November), the Leonids which traditionally has a peak sometime between 17 – 19 November but lasts from 13 to 20 November and the Andromedids which we are currently in the middle of (26 September to 6 December) but normally peaks on the night of 14/15 November.

The November showers are somewhat unpredictable. For all three showers there are some years where not much happens and other years the Leonid Shower produces thousands of meteors per hour.

For your watching convenience, we have scheduled the Taurid and the Andromedid Showers in the evenings and the Leonids in the pre-dawn sky. Wear a coat.