2017 Week 45: (November 5-11)

The cold and snow have hit Calgary with great force this week and observational astronomy has been kicked to the wayside.  However, there is some clearing in the forecast this weekend and we can perhaps see some sights in the sky.  A meteor shower will be peaking this weekend and also don't forget to set your clock back one hour so you can get some rest!  The table below shows some of the week's highlights.

Date	Event
November 5	Daylight Savings Time Ends
November 5	South Taurid Meteors Peak
November 5	Aldebaran 0.8°S of Moon
November 10	Last Quarter
November 11	Regulus 0.4°S of Moon

The Taurid meteor shower is broken up into two parts: The North and South Taurids.  Debris from the comet 2P/Encke (we discussed this back in February) is spread out quite a fair distance causing an extended run for these meteors (~3 months).  These meteors are not frequent with an average zenith rate of 5 per hour.  However, the debris tends to be larger than most comet debris fields.  This causes them to be brighter and they have been known as Halloween Fireballs.

If you feel strong enough to brave the cold check out the map below for where to look.  Taurus rises in the eastern sky around 8pm and will be visible all night.  Watch the area in the vicinity of the Pleiades and hopefully you'll catch a meteor or two.

Taurids

The last quarter Moon will be in our sky this upcoming Friday for anyone who cares to look at some great craters along the terminator in the early morning. 

Another event that is happening on Friday is our first community star night.  We want to reach out to our neighbours to share everything the night sky has to offer.  It will be an evening of learning, fun and discovery.  There will be free hot chocolate and crafts for kids.  Following a presentation of what to expect in the evening's sky we will brave the chill to see some of these objects through the telescope.  It will be held in the east room of the McKenzie Lake Community Centre on November 10, 2017 from 7-9pm.  For more details please see the event page below.

https://www.facebook.com/events/164787904116626/

There will be a couple close encounters of bright stars with the Moon.  Aldebaran and Regulus make their typical conjunction with the Moon.  Orion and Gemini are coming into the sky at a reasonable time.  Both of those constellations are filled with great things to observe, notably M42 - The Orion Nebula.

Stay warm this week and come to our event.  Enjoy the Autumn sky!