November 2006
What’s Up in the Sky – November, 2006
Transit of Mercury
What do the following things have in common: a certain automobile, your local florist, a record label, a 1932 dime, and November 8, 2006? The answer: the planet Mercury (that’s him on the FTD symbol). The connection with Wednesday of next week is on that date Mercury, the Sun and the earth will all line up with Mercury directly between us and the Sun. From our vantage point the planet will pass across the solar disk, appearing as a tiny black dot against the bright background of the sun’s surface.
I use the word “appearing” loosely because, unless you have the proper equipment (like a safe solar filter over the front of your telescope) and know what you are doing, you won’t see it. I recommend a webcast such as that to be found at http://www.exploratorium.edu/transit/ . For information on safe viewing, go to http://www.transitofvenus.org/safety.htm . For those of you in Holland, observation of the transit will be open to the public and will take place on November 8th at 3:00 p.m. in the courtyard between the new Science Center and Vanderwerf Hall on the campus of Hope College.
You may recall on June 8, 2004, Venus crossed the Sun appearing as a small black dot. This time Mercury will be tiny, only one sixth as large as Venus appeared in ‘04. But, unlike the dawn Venus transit, it will happen at a convenient time of day, beginning in the early afternoon and continuing until sunset from West Michigan.
Past transits on Mercury have played an important role in the development of science. On November 7, 1631, the French astronomer Pierre Gassendi observed the planet crossing the sun just as Johannes Kepler had predicted a few years earlier - a first. This was an early confirmation of Kepler’s new theory of planetary motion.
These early sightings puzzled folks because the planet appeared so tiny - an early hint at the true scale of planet sizes and distances.
The only other noteworthy action among the planets this month involves Saturn, high in the southern sky before dawn. The angle between us, the Sun and Saturn makes for very favorable viewing of the planet’s ring system. Viewed through a telescope, the shadow cast by the planet on the rings may even be visible.
Of course, November does not have a reputation for clear skies, but with a little luck on November 8th we may be able to briefly enjoy what’s up in the sky.
This month in history:
Nov. 3: Russian dog, Laika, first living creature to orbit earth - in Sputnik 2 - 1957
Nov. 6: Tycho Brahe observes supernova in Cassiopeia - 1572
Nov. 12: Voyager 1 flies past Saturn - 1980
Nov. 16: Arecibo radio telescope broadcasts interstellar radio message - 1974
Nov. 29: Australia is the fourth nation to launch a satellite - 1967
Nov. 30: Ten-pound meteorite bruises Alabama resident Elizabeth Hodges - 1954
Here are this month’s viewing highlights:
Planets this month: Saturn is high in the south before dawn. Around mid month Mercury emerges in the morning twilight reaching its best appearance of the year on the 25th.
Nov. 5: Full Moon
Nov. 8: Mercury transits the sun.
Nov. 12: Last-quarter Moon.
Nov. 17: Leonid meteors peak.
Nov. 20: New Moon.
Nov. 25: Mercury reaches greatest western elongation - 20° from the sun. See it in the ESE one hour before sunrise.
Nov. 28: First quarter Moon.
Peter Burkey - SAAA President