Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Thursday, November 8th.  The sun will rise at 7:30.  It’ll be up for 9 hours and 51 minutes, setting at 5:21.   The moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:18 tomorrow morning.

The identity of the constellation Cetus is a bit mixed up.  Officially it is a whale, but in the story of the constellations above it, (Cassiopeia, Pegasus, Andromeda, Perseus and Cepheus) it is the monster sent to ravage the Ethiopian coast, and to whom the sacrifice of Andromeda was to stop.  Either can be seen in the stars in the southeast at 9 p.m.  It is a large constellation of dim stars below and left of the Great Square of Pegasus and Pisces.  The whale can be seen diving, its tail of 5 stars in a squished pentagon, is seen to the upper left.  If you see the stars differently and put the head of the of the sea monster where the tail of whale is the dreaded Cetus of the story appears.  One of its stars is variable and may not be visible.  It’s Mira, the wonderful.

Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Cetus, Triangulum, Aries and surrounding constellations on November 8, 2012 at 9 p.m. Created using Stellarium.