Tonight – November 20, 2016 – you have to be a night owl or early bird to view the last quarter moon coupling up with Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion. If you’re not one to stay up until around midnight, then watch for the moon and Regulus before dawn, when the two luminaries will be highest up for the night. And if you’re up before dawn be sure to look for our sky’s second-brightest planet, Jupiter. It’s much brighter than Regulus! The moon will be edging toward it in the coming mornings.
Last quarter moon happens on November 21 at 8:33 UTC. So we’ll all see a moon between midnight and dawn that appears half-illuminated. Translating UTC to U.S. time zones, the last quarter moon occurs on November 21 at 3:33 a.m. Eastern Time, 2:33 a.m. Central Time, 1:33 a.m. Mountain Time and 12:33 a.m. Pacific Time.
Regulus is the only first-magnitude star to sit almost squarely on the ecliptic – the sun’s annual path in front of the constellations of the Zodiac. In our day and age, the sun’s yearly conjunction with Regulus happens on or near August 23. That’s about two months after the June solstice, or one month before the September equinox.
Ancient astronomers once thought the sun literally moved through the constellations of the zodiac, while the Earth remained at rest at the center of the universe. Of course, we now know that the Earth revolves around the sun, and that the sun resides at the center of our solar system. We also know that the sun’s apparent daily motion in front of the backdrop stars is really a reflection of Earth revolving around the sun.
The ecliptic is actually the Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the zodiac.
Because the planets orbit the sun, and the moon orbits Earth, on nearly the same plane that Earth circles the sun, the moon and planets are always found on or near the ecliptic. If you’re an early bird, waking up before the sun, then use the moon, the star Regulus and the early morning planet Jupiter to help you envision the ecliptic with the mind’s-eye over the next several days.
Bottom line: See the waning crescent moon near Regulus from late night until dawn on November 21, 2016. Then watch over the coming mornings as the waning crescent moon sweeps near and then past Jupiter.
EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Going fast!
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Tonight – November 20, 2016 – you have to be a night owl or early bird to view the last quarter moon coupling up with Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion. If you’re not one to stay up until around midnight, then watch for the moon and Regulus before dawn, when the two luminaries will be highest up for the night. And if you’re up before dawn be sure to look for our sky’s second-brightest planet, Jupiter. It’s much brighter than Regulus! The moon will be edging toward it in the coming mornings.
Last quarter moon happens on November 21 at 8:33 UTC. So we’ll all see a moon between midnight and dawn that appears half-illuminated. Translating UTC to U.S. time zones, the last quarter moon occurs on November 21 at 3:33 a.m. Eastern Time, 2:33 a.m. Central Time, 1:33 a.m. Mountain Time and 12:33 a.m. Pacific Time.
Regulus is the only first-magnitude star to sit almost squarely on the ecliptic – the sun’s annual path in front of the constellations of the Zodiac. In our day and age, the sun’s yearly conjunction with Regulus happens on or near August 23. That’s about two months after the June solstice, or one month before the September equinox.
Ancient astronomers once thought the sun literally moved through the constellations of the zodiac, while the Earth remained at rest at the center of the universe. Of course, we now know that the Earth revolves around the sun, and that the sun resides at the center of our solar system. We also know that the sun’s apparent daily motion in front of the backdrop stars is really a reflection of Earth revolving around the sun.
The ecliptic is actually the Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the zodiac.
Because the planets orbit the sun, and the moon orbits Earth, on nearly the same plane that Earth circles the sun, the moon and planets are always found on or near the ecliptic. If you’re an early bird, waking up before the sun, then use the moon, the star Regulus and the early morning planet Jupiter to help you envision the ecliptic with the mind’s-eye over the next several days.
Bottom line: See the waning crescent moon near Regulus from late night until dawn on November 21, 2016. Then watch over the coming mornings as the waning crescent moon sweeps near and then past Jupiter.
EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Going fast!
Donate: Your support means the world to us
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1l5FblC
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