WEST MICHIGAN (FOX 17)-
Each month, I examine some of the sights you can see in the nighttime sky. This information is provided by Indiana University.
Meteor Shower
The annual Leonid meteor shower peaks a few hours before sunrise on the morning of November 17. This meteor shower typically produces between 10 and 20 shooting stars per hour away from city lights. The best viewing should come in the eastern sky. The Leonid meteors are dust particles from Comet Temple Tuttle.
Planets
The largest planet Jupiter will continue to dazzle this month. The planet rises about two hours after sunset early in the month and already shining when the sun goes down by the end of the month. It will traverse the southern sky, starting in the southeast and moving to the southwest throughout the night. Meanwhile, as Jupiter is climbing high, an even brighter Venus will rise three hours before the sun during November. You can’t miss it in the eastern sky. Also, Saturn will come into view around the 15th. You can see it in the east-southeast sky an hour before sunrise. Finally, Mars is also visible this month low in the southwest sky just after sunset. Look for the red tint, a way to tell that you are looking at the Red Planet. Look quickly though, as it sets an hour later.
Moon Phases
The last quarter is November 6, followed by the new moon on the 13th. First Quarter occurs on the 20th, with the full moon on November 28.
Forecast
For the latest on if you’ll see sunshine or moonshine, visit our weather page at http://www.fox17online.com
