Adrian Dening's Stars Over Somerset

Wednesday, 3 November 2021 17:00

Monday 8th to Sunday 14th November 2021

On Monday 8th if you look towards the south west horizon around 6pm, after the Sun has set, there is the chance to see a bright planet Venus shining at magnitude -4.4 slightly to the right of an 11%-lit Waxing Crescent Moon.

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The following evening, Tuesday 9th, telescope users have the chance to spot the shadow of Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons, transiting across the planet's disc. You'll need to be aiming at Jupiter towards the south just after it gets dark and you will have to be quick as the event is all over by 6.40pm.

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A couple of weeks ago I mentioned "clair-obscur" visual effects when observing the Moon. On Thursday 11th there is the opportunity to see two of these effects known as the Lunar "V" and "X". They are most visible from around 10.30pm just before the First Quarter Moon sets in the south west.

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To help you find them, below is a map of the different clair-obscur effects and photographs of the "V" and "X" courtesy of Sky at Night Magazine and Pete Lawrence.

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Finally, the night of Thursday 11th into the morning of Friday 12th sees the peak of the Northern Taurids meteor shower. Best viewing is from midnight, so really the early hours of the Friday morning. The radiant point of the shower is right of Taurus and the Pleiades cluster, towards the south if you start looking from midnight. The shower has an hourly rate of only five meteors, but the trails look very bright because they are travelling relatively slowly at only 65,000 miles per hour!

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