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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the two-week period through December 5th, 2019. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.
The brightest planet, Venus, as well as the second brightest planet, Jupiter, and third brightest, Saturn, are visible in the southwest after sunset in a formation that changes from night to night. On the 28th, Venus is the planet that is closest to the horizon. Jupiter is then to the upper left of Venus. Saturn is in line with the brighter planets, to their upper left. Night by night, Jupiter and Venus will appear closer together, until the 24th. On that night the planets are at conjunction, or aligned north and south of each other with respect to the North Star. Venus will be south (to the lower-left) of Jupiter and 1½ degree (an angle equal to three full moons placed side-by side) from each other. After that, Jupiter will be lowest of the three planets. In another couple of weeks, Jupiter will be lost from view in the sun’s glare. In the mean time, Saturn and Venus will appear to draw closer together.
The waning crescent moon is visible in the early morning before it becomes new on the 26th. By the 28th it will move back into the evening sky, posing above Venus and Jupiter. On the 29th it will pass beneath Saturn. It is first quarter on December 3rd. The time of moonset changes from 5:49 p.m. to 12:26 a.m. between November 28th and December 5th.
Rare activity from the Alpha Monocerotid meteor shower could occur on Thursday night, November 21st. If it does materialize, it would most likely occur between 9:35 and 10:05 p.m., PST. This timing is not favorable for the West Coast, because the shower, streaming from the constellation Monoceros the Unicorn, is just rising in the east. East coast Observers will see it much higher in the sky during the same period. The only way to know if anything happens, however, is to look, so watch the eastern skies for meteors if the weather is clear.
Weather willing, several interesting passages of artificial satellites are in store for Los Angeles sky watchers.
The largest artificial satellite, the International Space Station, will nearly equal the planet Venus in brightness as it passes over Los Angeles on the evenings of November 21st and 22nd. On the 21st, the ISS appears above the southwest horizon at 5:55 p.m. and reaches its highest point, 76 degrees high in the northwest, at 5:59 p.m. Less than a minute later it disappears in the Earth’s shadow, 29 degrees above the northeast horizon. On the 22nd, the ISS takes a lower track through the sky between 5:07 and 5:14 p.m. as it glides from the south-southwest to the east-northeast horizon. It will reach its apex, 52 degrees high in the southeast, at 7:10 p.m.
The Tether Electrodynamics Propuslion CubeSat Experiment–– or TEPCE for short––consists of a tiny satellite that splits into a central section and two ends that are all connected by a tether that unreels until the sections are spread along the kilometer-long tether. TEPSE is moving into view from the northern hemisphere during the early evening, and into the dawn sky from the southern hemisphere. No one knows quite what to expect, but it might appear as three dots connected by a thin line, so have binoculars handy!
From Los Angeles, TEPSE will appear to move from the southwest to the southeast sky for three or four minutes, and will be at its highest in the south (25 degrees to 45 degrees high) at 7:04 p.m. on November 22, 7:01 p.m. on November 23, 6:59 p.m. on November 24th, 5:19 and 7:00 p.m. on November 25th, 5:15 and 6:57 p.m. on November 26, and 5:12 and 6:53 p.m. on November 27. Because of the effects of atmospheric drag on the tether, orbital predictions may change quickly. Use the Heavens-Above webpage (after entering your observing location) or check the Sky Report on Twitter for updates.
On Friday, November 22nd, sixty SpaceX StarLink global internet satellites that were all launched on a single rocket weeks ago, should also pass high above Los Angeles in a single-file line every thirty seconds between 5:22 and 6:00 a.m., traveling from the west-southwest to the east northeast and appearing as high as 65 degrees above the south-southwest horizon. The Heavens-Above website highlights the predictions for StarLink satellites, and the Sky Report on Twitter will post alerts for the best sighting opportunities.
Free views of the Sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes from Tuesday through Sunday, before 9:30 p.m. Griffith Observatory will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 28. Check our website for the schedule. The next free public star party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place on Saturday, December 7th between 2:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Follow The Sky Report, All Space Considered, and Griffith Observatory on Twitter for updates on astronomy and space-related events.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.