Sky Report
The Griffith Observatory Sky Report
Anthony Cook
Astronomical Observer
This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the week ending Wednesday, November 11. Here is what’s happening in the skies of Southern California:
The brightest planet in the evening is Jupiter, in Capricornus the Sea-Goat. Jupiter is 39 degrees high in the south at end of evening twilight and sets in west-southwest before 11:30 p.m.
The moon is in waning gibbous phase until the morning of the 9th, when it reaches last quarter phase. After that it appears in waning crescent phase. Its rising time this week is about an hour later each night, from 6:23 p.m. on Wednesday the 4th to 1:07 a.m. a week later.
The rust-red planet Mars is east of Cancer the Crab’s Beehive star cluster, and rises at about 10:40 p.m. When dawn starts, Mars is 73 degrees high in the east-southeast. The last-quarter moon is near Mars on Sunday night, the 8th.
The ringed planet, Saturn, is in Virgo the Maiden and rises in the east at about 2:45 a.m. Appearing as a bright golden star, Saturn is 27 degrees high in the east-southeast when dawn starts. A telescope will show that the north side of its rings are now tilted 4 degrees in our direction.
The brightest planet, Venus, is difficult to find in the morning twilight. It appears as a bright white light low in the east-southeast half an hour before sunrise.
Los Angeles residents will be treated a couple of brilliant overhead passes of the International Space Station this week. It is predicted to appear much brighter than Jupiter on both passes. The first will take place on Saturday night, the 7th, between 5:54 and 5:58 p.m. The Space Station will move from southwest to northeast, and will be 73 degrees high in the southeast about a minute before it slips into Earth’s shadow. The next is on Monday night, two nights later, between 5:04 and 5:10 p.m., shortly after sunset. The space station will again move from southwest to northeast, and will appear 70 degrees high in the southeast at 5:07 p.m.
Free public viewing of the sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night, is available through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes until 9:45 p.m., every night–weather permitting–except Mondays, when the Observatory is closed. The next public star party, held by members of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society will be held on the Observatory’s front lawn on Saturday, November 21.
The Sky Report is updated every Wednesday. It can be heard as a recorded phone message by calling (213) 473-0880. From Griffith Observatory, I’m Tony Cook, and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.
