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Ephemeris: 11/21/2024 – Fomalhaut’s planet that wasn’t
This is Ephemeris for Thursday, November 21st. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 20 minutes, setting at 5:08, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:49. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 10:56 this evening.
The lonely bright star low in the south-southeast at 8 p.m. these evenings is Fomalhaut, the harbinger of autumn in my book, and will leave as winter arrives. Fomalhaut is a young white star only about 400 million years old with a protoplanetary disk surrounding it. Near an outer dust ring, in 2008, the Hubble Space Telescope discovered a spot. Four years later, astronomers discovered that the spot had moved along the dust lane and announced the first direct discovery of an exoplanet. In 2010 and 2012 the planet now dubbed Fomalhaut b or Dagon was observed again. However, it appeared to be dissipating. It seems that it might actually be an expanding cloud of debris, the result of two asteroids or proto-planets colliding.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.
Addendum:
11/25/2019 – Ephemeris – Fomalhaut has a visible exoplanet
Ephemeris for Monday, November 25th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 5:06, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:53. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 7:41 tomorrow morning.
The lonely bright star low in the south at 8 p.m. these evenings is Fomalhaut the harbinger of autumn in my book, and about to leave as winter approaches. Fomalhaut means fishes mouth and is located at the head of Piscis Austrinus, a very dim constellation. Fomalhaut is a young white star only about 400 million years old with a disk of dust surrounding it. Near an outer dust ring, 15 years ago the Hubble Space Telescope discovered a spot. Four years later astronomers discovered that the spot moved along the dust lane and announced the first direct discovery of an exoplanet. In 2010 and 2012 the planet now dubbed Fomalhaut b or Dagon was observed again and it really does orbit Fomalhaut in a very eccentric orbit.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Fomalhaut in the south at 8 p.m. in November. Created using Stellarium.
The track of observations of Fomalhaut b or Dagon in 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2012. Credit: NASA and ESA – http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/717874main_p1301aw-orig_full.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23735991
11/24/2017 – Ephemeris – Fomalhaut, the loneliest star, has a little buddy
Ephemeris for Friday, November 24th. The Sun will rise at 7:51. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 15 minutes, setting at 5:07. The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 10:30 this evening.
The lonely bright star low in the south at 8 p.m. these evenings is Fomalhaut the harbinger of autumn in my book, and about to leave as winter approaches. Fomalhaut means fishes mouth and is located at the head of Piscis Austrinus, a very dim constellation. Fomalhaut is a young white star only about 400 million years old with a disk of dust surrounding it. Near an outer dust ring, 15 years ago the Hubble Space Telescope discovered a spot. Four years later astronomers discovered that the spot moved along the dust lane and announced the first direct discovery of an exoplanet. In 2010 and 2012 the planet now dubbed Fomalhaut b or Dagon was observed again and it really does orbit Fomalhaut in a very eccentric orbit.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Fomalhaut in the south at 8 p.m. on November evenings. Created using Stellarium.
Fomalhaut b and it’s path around its star. Credit: NASA, ESA, and P. Kalas (University of California, Berkeley and SETI Institute)
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 
