The month starts with a new moon. It soon joins the inner planets in the evening sky. A thin crescent will be near Mercury on the 3rd and then pass in front of Antares for some viewers on the 4th. A thicker crescent is near Venus later on the 4th. The moon is heading southward during this time, reaching southern lunistice at 28.6 degrees south on the 5th. For Pluto enthusiasts, there may some fun knowing that the moon passes south of the minor planet on the 7th.
First quarter is on the 9th. Then on the 11th, some observers get to see the moon pass in front of Saturn. Neptune is occulted on the 12th. Lunar perigee occurs at a distance of 360,100 kilometers on the 14th and the moon’s full the next day. The moon passes north of Uranus on the 15th. Then on the 17th, see the waning gibbous disk near Jupiter. Northern lunistice is on the 18th at 28.5 degrees. When you see the moon on the 20th, you’ll see it pass near Pollux and Mars. It’s almost at last quarter when it passes Regulus on the 22nd. Last quarter is the next day.
Then the moon’s at apogee on the 26th. The distance is 405,300 kilometers. It occults Spica on the 27th.
Venus moves eastward by the feet of snake-bearer Ophiuchus in the first few days of November while Mercury heads toward the scorpion’s forehead. Mercury’s closest to Dschubba on the 4th. The star’s name means forehead. As soon as Venus has passed Ophiuchus’s feet, Mercury has reached them around the 9th. The messenger planet is closest to Antares on the 10th. Meanwhile, Venus heads toward the teapot lit in Sagittarius. The star it will pass close to on the 16th and 17th is Kaus Borealis. That’s the northern bow star, referring to the weapon the legendary archer uses.
On the 16th, Mercury reaches greatest elongation at 23 degrees east of the sun. It will keep going eastward against the stars for ten more evenings, but slower than the sun. Venus reaches Nunki on the 21st and 22nd. No one’s sure what the star’s name means, but it goes back to the Babylonians. As Venus passes by the ladle in Sagittarius on the 25th and 26th, Mercury becomes stationary. Then you can see it going westward against the stars. The messenger planet quickly retreats from the evening sky, while the goddess moves on toward Capricornus.
Saturn is slowly retrograde in Aquarius the first half of the month. Then it resumes direct motion. To the naked eye, it may appear stationary all month. The ringed planet is fairly high on the eastern side of the sky at dusk for most observers.
Jupiter rises in the early evening. It’s retrograde south of Auriga and heading toward the Hyades V. Mid- to late-evening, you’ll find the red planet rising, moving toward Cancer. Next month, it will turn around and go back toward Gemini.
None of the planets go through aphelion or perihelion this month. Uranus is at opposition on the 17th.
The Leonids meteor shower peaks on the 17th. The moon interferes this year. It’s waning gibbous and up when the radiant point is.
