What to see in the night sky this week | Media Pyro

Each Monday I pick the Northern Hemisphere sky highlights (mid-northern latitudes) for the week ahead, but be sure Check out my main feed For more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.

What to see in the night sky this week: November 14-20, 2022

November is always a good time for stargazing, but this week will be better than most. This week sees the peak of the Leonid meteor shower, with a chance to see bright winter stars in the east as darkness falls. While it may not be the most abundant of a typical year, there are plenty of reasons to look outside as this week rolls around. With its peak night coinciding with a moonless night sky—a rare one of the meteor shower peaks in 2022—the Leonid meteor shower is famous for its frequent meteor storms. That may not be the case this year, but there are reasons to believe it will be stronger than usual.

Wednesday 16 November 2022: Last Quarter Moon

Today sees our natural satellite in space reach its last quarter lunar phase, rising around midnight and setting around noon. So, as well as ensuring a dark, moonlit sky beyond midnight for the rest of the week, this means you can easily find a half and set moon in the west in the morning.

Thursday/Friday, November 17/18, 2022: Leonid Meteor Shower

Just before midnight on Thursday, the peak of the Leonid meteor shower is in the dark moonless night sky until early Friday morning. A 36% fainter crescent will rise after midnight. Keep your eyes peeled (no binoculars or telescope required) to see 10-20 “shooting stars” per hour (a dark sky will help you spot them). This meteor shower is known for its bright meteors with steady trains—meaning you can see some of them brighten for a second or so as they move across the night sky.

Friday/Saturday, November 18/19, 2022: Leonid Meteor Shower

According to the American Meteor Society, this year Earth will be seen passing through a few streams of Leonid meteors associated with previous meteor storms. Experts predict that on November 19, Earth could blast through the same dust trail that caused a meteor storm in 1733, with a possible 200 “shooting stars” per hour! Others suggest 50 per hour. Anyway, come on out and have a look!

Sunday, November 20, 2022: New Moon near Spica

Before sunrise in the eastern sky this morning, the 15% fainter gibbous moon – a crescent – ​​will rise just below the star Porima and 4º above the bright star Spica in Virgo. Arcturus, a red supergiant star in the constellation Boots, will be to the left of the Moon at sunrise.

Event of the week: Leonid meteor shower

Active between November 3 and December 2 each year, the Leonid meteor shower is caused by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle leaving dust and debris in the inner Solar System. Although visible from anywhere, the star of the meteors is the constellation Leo.

Times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. Consult online planetariums for the most accurate location-specific information Stellarium And The Sky Live. Check Planet-Rise/Planet Set, Sunrise and sunset And Moonrise/moonset Times of where you are.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.