The Sky This Week from October 25 to November 3 – Astronomy Magazine

Sunday, October 27Uranus reaches opposition and peak visibility tonight. Opposition officially arrives at 4 a.m. EDT on the 28th, when the outer planet lies opposite the Sun in our sky. This means it rises at sunset, climbs highest in the south around 1 a.m. local daylight time, and sets at sunrise. (From 40 north latitude, Uranus peaks at an altitude of 63, the highest it has appeared at opposition since February 1962.) The magnitude 5.7 planet lies among the background stars of southern Aries. In the nights around opposition, you can find it 3 south-southwest of the similarly bright star 19 Arietis.. Although Uranus shines brightly enough to glimpse with the naked eye under a dark sky, use binoculars to locate it initially. A telescope reveals the planets blue-green disk, which spans 3.7". To learn more about viewing Uranus and its outer solar system cousin, Neptune, see Observe the ice giants in Octobers Astronomy.

New Moon occurs at 11:38 p.m. EDT. At its New phase, the Moon crosses the sky with the Sun and so remains hidden in our stars glare.

Monday, October 28Although the Orionid meteor shower peaked last week, the shower remains active until November 7. And with the Moon now gone from the night sky, observers can expect to see a few shooting stars in the predawn sky. To differentiate an Orionid from a sporadic, remember that a shower meteor will appear to radiate from the northern part of the constellation Orion the Hunter.

Tuesday, October 29The solar systems two inner planets appear near each other in the early evening sky. Tonight, Mercury slides 3 due south (lower left) of Venus. You can find the pair with the help of a two-day-old crescent Moon. Our satellite stands 8 high 30 minutes after sunset with Venus 5 to its lower right and Mercury 6 directly below the Moon. All three objects should just fit in the field of view through 7x50 binoculars. At magnitude 3.8, Venus shines far brighter than magnitude 0.1 Mercury.

Wednesday, October 30This week offers an excellent opportunity to view the zodiacal light. From the Northern Hemisphere, early autumn is the best time of year to observe this elusive glow before sunrise. It appears slightly fainter than the Milky Way, so youll need a clear moonless sky and an observing site located far from the city. Look for the cone-shaped glow, which points nearly straight up from the eastern horizon, shortly before morning twilight begins (around 6 a.m. local daylight time at mid-northern latitudes). The Moon remains out of the morning sky until November 11, when its bright light will return and overwhelm the much fainter zodiacal light.

Thursday, October 31Use the waxing crescent Moon as a guide to finding Jupiter in the southwestern sky this evening. You can find Jupiter 5 to Lunas lower right as darkness falls. Of course, Jupiter is on display all week. It shines at magnitude 1.9 and dominates the early evening sky from its perch in southern Ophiuchus the Serpent-bearer. When viewed through a telescope, Jupiter shows a 33"-diameter disk with striking details in its dynamic atmosphere. You also should see four bright points of light arrayed around the planet: the Galilean moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.

Friday, November 1The Moon moves about 13 eastward relative to the background stars each day, and this movement carries it into Saturns vicinity this evening. Look for the ringed planet 4 to Lunas upper left. As with Jupiter, Saturn remains a glorious sight all week. The ringed planet resides among the background stars of Sagittarius the Archer, a region that appears 20 high in the southwest as twilight fades to darkness and doesnt set until 10 p.m. local daylight time. Saturn shines at magnitude 0.6 and appears significantly brighter than any of its host constellations stars. Although a naked-eye view of the planet is nice, seeing it through a telescope truly inspires. Even a small instrument shows the distant worlds 16"-diameter disk and spectacular ring system, which spans 36" and tilts 25 to our line of sight.

Saturday, November 2After a three-month hiatus, Mars returns to view before dawn this week. You can find it 8 above the eastern horizon an hour before the Sun rises. The Red Planet shines at magnitude 1.8 and should be obvious through binoculars. Once you find the ruddy world, try to spot it with just your naked eye.

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The Sky This Week from October 25 to November 3 - Astronomy Magazine