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11/02/2012 – Ephemeris – Astronomy tonight!
Ephemeris for Friday, November 2nd. The sun will rise at 8:22. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 7 minutes, setting at 6:29. The moon, half way from full to last quarter, will rise at 9:10 this evening.
Previewing the comets of 2013 will be the topic at the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society’s monthly meeting at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory. The program will be given by yours truly. Next year we may be treated by the possibility of two bright comets: PanSTARRS and ISON The questions isn’t will they arrive, they will; but how bright will they be. ISON in particular, could be spectacular. Starting at 9 p.m. will be the monthly viewing night at the observatory. On tap if its clear will be the galaxies of fall along with Jupiter and the moon rising. The Observatory is located south of Traverse City on Birmley Road off either Garfield or Keystone roads.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
11/01/2012 – Ephemeris – Previewing November Skies
Ephemeris for Thursday, November 1st. The sun will rise at 8:20. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 9 minutes, setting at 6:30. The moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 8:21 this evening.
Tonight Jupiter will appear above the moon. The month of November is one early sunsets, especially with the return to standard time this Sunday, and shortening of day light hours. Daylight hours will decrease from 10 hours 9 minutes today to 9 hours 5 minutes at month end. The altitude of the sun above the southern horizon at local noon, will drop from 31 degrees to 23½ degrees over the month. The Leonid meteor shower will have two peaks this year, but the best for us will be at 2 a.m. on the morning of the 20th. Up to 15 meteors per hour are expected. These are from Comet Tempel-Tuttle’s 1400 AD passage through the inner solar system. It won’t be until the late 2030’s when the comet will come around again.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Jupiter and the moon at 10 p.m. November 1, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
Leo rising at around 2 a.m. on the morning of November 20. Note the radiant in the sickle asterism of Leo. Created using Looking Up, my own program.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 