By Heather Durham | October 31, 2024
November 2024 presents an extraordinary month for astronomical enthusiasts in New England, with several remarkable celestial events visible to the naked eye. The month begins with the New Moon on November 1, creating perfect dark sky conditions for stargazing across New England. This darkness will prove particularly valuable for observing deep sky objects and fainter stars typically washed out by moonlight. The New Moon phase occurs when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun, making it invisible from our perspective but providing the darkest possible night skies. This timing is particularly fortuitous for New England observers, as November typically offers clearer atmospheric conditions than the humid summer months.
The month’s crowning achievement arrives on November 17 when Uranus reaches opposition, marking its closest approach to Earth and brightest appearance of the year. During this event, Uranus will rise as the Sun sets and remain visible throughout the night, reaching its highest point in the sky around midnight. From New England’s vantage point, observers can find Uranus in the constellation Aries, appearing as a distinct blue green dot visible to the naked eye under dark skies, though binoculars or a small telescope will greatly enhance the viewing experience. This opposition is particularly favorable as it occurs during a time when Uranus reaches its highest point in the night sky in over a decade for Northern hemisphere observers.
The Leonids meteor shower peaks on November 17-18, coinciding with Uranus at opposition. While not as spectacular as some historical displays, the 2024 Leonids are expected to produce up to 15 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. The radiant point, located in the constellation Leo, rises in the late evening hours and climbs higher throughout the night, making the pre dawn hours the best time for observation. The nearly full moon will unfortunately wash out fainter meteors, but patient observers should still catch several bright streaks across the sky.
November 1: New Moon provides excellent dark sky viewing conditions across New England
November 4-5: Northern Taurids meteor shower peaks, producing 5 10 slow moving meteors per hour
November 15: Full Beaver Moon reaches peak illumination, final Supermoon of 2024
November 16: Mercury achieves greatest eastern elongation, visible low in western sky after sunset
November 17: Uranus reaches opposition, offering best viewing conditions of 2024
November 17-18: Leonids meteor shower peaks despite challenging lunar conditions
November 23: Last Quarter Moon provides good morning viewing conditions
November 30: New Moon returns, offering another opportunity for dark sky observation
References:
American Meteor Society. (2024). Meteor shower calendar 2024. Retrieved from www.amsmeteors.org
In The Sky. (2024). Astronomy calendar November 2024. Retrieved from in-the-sky.org/newscal.php?month=11&year=2024
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. (2024). Observer’s handbook 2024. Toronto: Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Space.com. (2024). Night sky, November 2024: What you can see this month. Retrieved from www.space.com
Milton Observer 