Shropshire Sky At Night – November

The Solar System holds a vast array of exhilarating possibilities for stargazers. As Jupiter and Saturn make their exit, they are replaced by, Mercury, the Sun-hugging planet, which can be seen as a bright low object for the first 10 days of the month. Remember NOT to sweep the sky with binoculars for the ‘winged messenger' until after the Sun has set.

Alongside Mercury is Earth’s twin Venus, which continues to climb higher in the sky as the days pass, making it easier to observe as a blazing ‘evening star.’ Although the red planet, Mars, shows itself pre-dawn later in the month its faint ‘footprint’ will not be easy to find in the twilight.

However the gas giants continue to offer themselves as suitable targets throughout the month. The 4th sees Uranus, hiding in the constellation of Aries, in opposition, meaning it is on the opposite side of the Earth than the Sun. During opposition the planets appear at their largest and brightest, and are above the horizon for much of the night. Even so Uranus will only appear as a blue/green dot in most instruments.

The most remote planet of the Solar System, Neptune, is observable among the stars of Aquarius until late evening, but you will need a good star map to guide you.

Since the demotion of Pluto to a dwarf planet, Ceres has been identified as the largest asteroid and reaches opposition on the 27th. It can easily be tracked as it passes through the Hyades open cluster in Taurus, using a pair of binoculars.

The moon can always be guaranteed to provide spectacular viewing with opportunities for astrophotography without the pain of expensive equipment. The accompanying photograph, which was snapped using a smartphone held up to the eyepiece of an average telescope, illustrates what is achievable.

Avoid the full moon on the 19th as it is too bright and tends to over expose images. However, barely visible in the UK, you might be lucky enough to view a partial lunar eclipse instead, which is when the moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, or penumbra. During a lunar eclipse, partial or total, the moon usually turns a deep, dark red because it is illuminated by light that has passed through the Earth's atmosphere and has been bent back towards the moon by refraction.

Two meteor showers worth chasing this month include the Taurids, which is a long-running minor meteor shower producing about five to 10 meteors per hour, and the average Leonids producing up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak. The Taurid shower is at the time of the new moon and should provide excellent opportunities for sightings given clear skies. Unfortunately, this year, the peak of the Leonids on the 17th will be dominated by the full moon. Both showers are best viewed from a dark location after midnight, where they can appear anywhere in the sky.

Steve Szwajkun FRAS, Shropshire Astronomical Society