Sky Guide November 2023
‘November brings excellent planet viewing: Jupiter makes appearances in both the evening and morning sky, joined by Saturn and Mercury in the evenings, and Venus in the mornings. Meanwhile there are some excellent deep-sky objects visible with the naked eye and several more viewable through a telescope or binoculars.’
Constellations
Constellations are named groups of stars that link to form a picture. For millennia constellations have been used as tools for navigation and as focal points for significant cultural stories. Astronomers use these constellations to mark out sections of the sky and as a way of locating astronomical objects. In November the following constellations dominate the spring sky.
Pegasus the winged horse is high in the northern sky. Pegasus is easy to find by looking for four bright stars that outline the ‘Great Square of Pegasus’. The Square is large: more than 15 degrees wide and 13 degrees high. In the past all four stars were part of the constellation, though delta Pegasi is now known as Alpha Andromedae.
Andromeda low in the northern sky beneath Pegasus. This constellation shares a star with the Square of Pegasus. While it is best seen in the Northern Hemisphere, it is clearly visible to southern observers this month.
Aquarius high overhead in the November sky. An ancient constellation, Aquarius is best known for the Eta-Aquarids meteor shower that peaks in early May. Like the other constellations, Aquarius is steeped in mythology, seen as Ganymede, a shepherd boy in Greek myths and as a man pouring water from a jug by the Babylonians.
