Our November sky is a happening place

In Cypress, from KellyluvsdogsJames on Click2Pins

I’ve had several viewers ask about our weekend sky (so crisp and clear!) and just what is off to the side of the crescent moon. That’s Venus and it will pass to the other side tonight. All month you’ll be able to see Venus up there and as the month progresses Saturn and Jupiter show up also:

from earthsky.org

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You'll be able to see these in the sky into December--courtesy earthsky.org

You’ll find plenty of information at earthsky.org.

TAURID METEOR SHOWER

The Taurid meteor shower can come with ‘fireballs’ also. Most meteors that make it into Earth’s atmosphere are the size of a raisin and still show a nice flash across the sky. Taurid meteors can be as big as grapes and produce more dramatic “fireballs.” Find a dark spot, especially after midnight, and look for the show pretty much all month. Here’s more from space.com including a great video.

Taurid Meteor shower from 2014 in North Texas

THE FULL BEAVER MOON

This month’s Full Moon occurs on the 19th although it will look full a couple of nights before and after. And at 3 a.m. on the 19th, just as it shows up, the moon will also undergo an almost full lunar eclipse, turning it to a copper color. Sometimes this is called a “Blood Moon” -- a more effective title when this happens around Halloween! For true sky watchers, this will be a nice treat if skies cooperate and stay clear.

from VictorGutierrez on click2pins

The name of this moon came to be because the beavers know this is the time to start shoring up those dams for protection against the oncoming winter. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a nice article on the Beaver Moon and the Lunar Eclipse.

They also advise the best harvesting days in late November. This rings a personal note because my grandfather was a farmer and when my dad asked permission to marry his daughter he said they’d have to wait until the crops came in so he could pay for it! They married Nov. 28, 1953! I lost them both in the past year and think about them every day. They were wonderful parents and I am a lucky guy to have had them!

November 28, 1953

Enjoy those November skies!

Frank

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About the Authors:

KPRC 2's chief meteorologist with four decades of experience forecasting Houston's weather.