November 2012 Night Sky Guide (Sky Map Gallery)

November 2012 Last Quarter Moon

Starry Night Software

Tue., Nov. 6, 7:36 p.m. EST. The last or third quarter moon rises around 11:45 p.m. and sets around 1:15 p.m. It is most easily seen just after sunrise in the southern sky.

November 2012 New Moon Sky Map

Starry Night Software

Tue., Nov. 13, 5:08 p.m. EST. The moon is not visible on the date of new moon because it is too close to the sun, but can be seen low in the east as a narrow crescent a morning or two before, just before sunrise. It is visible low in the west an evening or two after new moon.

November 2012 First Quarter Moon Sky Map

Starry Night Software

Tue., Nov. 20, 9:31 a.m. EST. The first quarter moon rises around 1:00 p.m. and sets around 12:15 a.m. It dominates the evening sky.

November 2012 Full Moon Sky Map

Starry Night Software

Wed., Nov. 28, 9:46 a.m. EST. The full moon of November is called the beaver moon. In Algonquian it is called the “much white frost on grass” moon. Other names are frost moon, snow moon and hunter's moon. In Hindi it is known as kartik poornima. Its Sinhala (Buddhist) name is il. The full moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, the only night in the month when the moon is in the sky all night long. The rest of the month, the moon spends at least some time in the daytime sky.

November 2012 Jupiter & Moon Sky Map

Starry Night Software

Thu., Nov. 1, 9 p.m. The moon will pass just south of Jupiter soon after moonrise in the eastern sky.

November 2012 Venus, Spica & Moon Sky Map

Starry Night Software

Sun., Nov. 11, 6 a.m. About an hour before sunrise, the moon joins the planet Venus and the bright star Spica in the morning sky.

November 2012 Solar Eclipse Sky Map

Starry Night Software

Wed., Nov. 14, morning. The path of this eclipse crosses northern Queensland, Australia before heading out across the Pacific Ocean. It will be visible as a partial eclipse over all of Australia and New Zealand, as well as most of the southern Pacific Ocean and southwestern South America.

November 2012 Leonid Meteor Shower Sky Map

Starry Night Software

Sat., Nov. 17, 3 a.m. The Leonid meteor shower has at times produced incredible storms of meteors. This year is not predicted to be anything out of the ordinary, but there’s always a chance of seeing a good number of meteors, especially this year since there will be no moon in the sky after midnight when meteors are most frequent.

November 2012 Venus and Saturn Sky Map

Starry Night Software

Tue., Nov. 27, before sunrise. A close approach between Venus and Saturn provides a rare opportunity to see two planets in the same telescope field, as well as being a treat for the unaided eye. Venus will be far brighter than Saturn.

November 2012 Jupiter & Moon 2 Sky Map

Starry Night Software

The moon will again pass just south of Jupiter soon after moonrise in the eastern sky on Nov. 28, 2012.

November 2012 Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon Sky Map

Starry Night Software

Wed./Thu., Nov. 28/29. This eclipse is best viewed in Asia, Australasia, and the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It will be at maximum near the middle of the night, on the night which begins on the 28th and ends on the 29th. The moon will only be passing through the Earth’s penumbral shadow (outer circle), so will only be slightly shaded at maximum eclipse; you will need to look closely to see the shading.

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