PAGASA: Meteor shower, constellations to treat stargazers in Nov

Barring cyclones, cloudy skies and the waxing moon, a meteor shower and formations of stars will give stargazers a treat this November. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the large planets will also be visible during the month. "This year('s) annual Leonids meteor is not expected to produce enhanced rates, but theoretical work by Mikhail Maslov suggested peak zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of about 20 meteors might occur around November 17, 2010 at 11 p.m. (Philippine Standard Time)," PAGASA officer-in-charge Graciano Yumul Jr. said in the bureau's astronomical diary for November. But Yumul noted the waxing gibbous Moon on November 17 will interfere with meteors viewing. Leonids Meteor Shower is created by bits of debris left behind by the repeat passages through the inner solar system of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. ZHR is the number of meteors that a single observer would see per hour if the radiant were at the zenith and +6.5 magnitude stars were visible. "For your count to be corrected to this standard, note your naked-eye limiting magnitude for stars in the part of the sky you are watching. Record the beginning and end times of each of your observing periods to the minute," Yumul said. Meteor enthusiasts can report their observations using the methods mentioned and report forms at the International Meteor Organization site, www.imo.net. Constellations, planets In November, the splendid "W" formation of stars in the Cassiopeia, Draco, Ursa Minor, Perseus and Camelopardalis lie at the northern horizon. Also, the Milky Way runs from the constellation Cygnus, the Swan in the west, to the constellation Gemini, the Twin in the east. The large figures of the constellations of Pisces, the Fish and Cetus, the Sea Monster spread across the equatorial region of the sky. Mars and Mercury will be found very low in the western horizon 30 minutes after sunset during the last two weeks of the month. "The best time to view the two planets will be on November 20, when Mercury will be 1.7 degrees south of Mars. After this conjunction, Mars descends deeper into the twilight horizon and disappear from view during the last week of the month," Yumul said. Venus returns to view in the morning sky an hour before sunrise starting November 8, and noticeably will be higher from the eastern horizon with each passing day. Jupiter will be easily located through its brightness as the sky darkens during the month. It will be shining at magnitude -2.8 in the early November and will slightly fades to magnitude -2.6 by the end of the month. The largest planet together with Uranus and Neptune will be visible throughout the evening sky during the month. Saturn will be found low in the morning sky an hour before sunrise in early November. "With each passing day, it rises earlier and will climbs higher in the eastern horizon by the end of the month. It will be glowing at magnitude +0.9 and will lie among the background stars of the constellation Virgo, the Virgin," Yumul said. — LBG, GMANews.TV