November skies are full of bright stars

Published 3:55 pm Thursday, November 2, 2023

Well, anyway, some of those bright objects are stars. Others are planets. Here’s the scoop.

By the way, what is the brightest star in the sky? OK, it’s a trick question. The Sun is the brightest star in the sky. But that’s because it’s close. Really close. The Sun is only 93 million miles away. The Sun is actually a rather average star. It’s middle sized and middle aged. OK, so what’s the brightest star in the night sky. As you probably know, it’s Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major. That faithful dog, Canis Major, follows the great hunter Orion marching westward across the sky each winter. In early November, Sirius rises in the east just after midnight. By then, Orion is well above the eastern horizon. It’s a beautiful sight. Also bright are Betelgeuse in Orion’s shoulder, and Rigel as one of his feet. However, those two don’t compete seriously with Sirius. (sorry about that!)

Even brighter than Sirius in the night sky in early November is the planet Venus. After we set the clock back on November 6, Venus rises about 3 a.m. As dawn is breaking, Venus is a stunning sight in the East. In fact, with keen eyes and the right conditions, Venus can be seen in the daytime. It appears rather bright in binoculars. The easiest way to see Venus in the daytime is to start with binoculars before daylight. You then carefully follow it as the sky brightens. That is a fun astronomy challenge that doesn’t require a telescope.

The second brightest star in the night sky is Canopus. While southern hemisphere observers are familiar with this star, not so are northern hemisphere observers. But all is not lost for us here in South Georgia. In early November from about 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., Canopus peaks above the southern horizon, almost straight below Sirius. Your view will need to be clear of trees. It’s a lovely sight from a beach on the panhandle. It’s a bluish star, but as the light skims through all that atmosphere it becomes reddish. Sirius is approaching us. One hundred thousand years ago, Sirius was further away, and Canopus was the brightest star in the night sky. In the distant future as Sirius passes in the distance, Canopus will reclaim its honor.

The other star of our night show isn’t a star, it’s Jupiter. Jupiter is near opposition, meaning it is in the opposite direction in our sky from the Sun. This makes it as close to us as it gets, and also at its brightest. Jupiter is dimmer than Venus, but brighter than Sirius. Opposition also means that it rises at sunset, and sets at sunrise. So, it’s visible all night long. Look East after dark, due south at midnight, and in the West before sunrise. Enjoy the show this November.