Yukon Sky Report – November 2024
By: Shale Davis
The Moon
The Moon will kick off the month close to the sun, slowly distancing itself and growing brighter as the days go on. It will reach full Moon by the 16th, before gradually wanning to a thin crescent by months end. When observing the Moon, keep an eye out for some of the more prominent craters and mountain ranges. Bear in mind that full Moon is rarely considered an ideal time for viewing the Moon, as all contrast is lost, and surface features appear flat and subdued.
The Planets
Mars: Becoming brighter with each passing day, the infamous Red Planet is making its return to our skies. It can currently be found in the constellation Cancer. Mars’ vibrant rusty hue is truly unmistakable and is sure to impress.
Jupiter: Jupiter is steadily heading towards its opposition in early December. It now completely dominates its region of the sky. Just last month a NASA probe called Europa Clipper launched on its way to one of Jupiter’s moons, Europa, after which the mission is named. Interestingly, this moon, along with three others, are visible orbiting Jupiter even when viewing with simple binoculars.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)
First discovered by astronomers in early 2023 this comet has been racing towards the inner solar system for tens of thousands of years. On Sept 27th it made its closest approach to the sun about the same distance as the planet Mercury. Astronomers were concerned that it may disintegrate due to its proximity the sun, but it survived more-or-less intact. C/2023 A3 now can be seen above the setting sun. The apparent separation between the comet and the sun has grown making for a longer observing window, though it is slowly dimming over time.
T Coronae Borealis Nova
Tucked away in the Corona Borealis constellation lies a seemingly inconspicuous star not even visible to the unaided eye. This is T Coronae Borealis, and it is in fact two stars (though they appear as only one) orbiting each other in violent dance. The larger component of the binary system is a massive red giant near the end of its life. The smaller member is an incredibly dense white dwarf (a stellar ember composed of electron degenerate matter). This White dwarf is gravitational stealing matter directly from the surface of its giant neighbour, creating an accretion (a ring of material orbiting its host). During outbursts the rate of transfer between the two stars increases dramatically, thus increasing the luminosity of the system. The last such outburst was in 1946 in which it temporarily brightened to magnitude +3, easily visible to the unaided eye. Another such outburst is anticipated sometime in the next few months.