Department of Science and Technology
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration
Astronomical Diary
Calendar of Astronomical Events NOVEMBER 2024
Date Event Time
05 Close approach of Waxing Crescent Moon and Venus 07:42 a.m.
05 Conjunction of Waxing Crescent Moon and Venus 08:15 a.m.
11 Close approach of Waxing Gibbous Moon and Saturn 09:38 a.m.
11 Conjunction of Waxing Gibbous Moon and Saturn 09:43 a.m.
14 Moon at Perigee (Distance = 360,204.917 km) 07:16 p.m.
15 Saturn enters retrograde motion 10:37 p.m.
16 Mercury at Greatest Elongation East 04:09 p.m.
17 Close approach of the Moon and Jupiter 09:52 p.m.
17 Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter 10:53 p.m.
17 Leonid meteor shower (ZHR = 15) ---
18 Mercury at Highest Altitude in the Evening Sky ---
21 Mercury at dichotomy 08:32 a.m.
21 Conjunction of the Moon and Mars 05:09 a.m.
21 Close approach of the Moon and Mars 06:27 a.m.
26 Moon at Apogee (Distance = 405,255.192 km) 07:56 p.m.
Moon Phases
New Moon
Nov 01 08:47 PM
First Quarter
Nov 09 01:55 PM
Full Moon
Nov 16 05:28 AM
Last Quarter
Nov 23 09:28 AM
Rise and Set Times of Planets
Date Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn
Rise Set Rise Set Rise Set Rise Set Rise Set
Nov 01 07:13 am 06:31 pm 08:41 am 07:51 pm 10:50 pm 11:44 am* 08:02 pm 08:59 am* 02:19 pm 02:07 am*
Nov 11 07:34 am 06:44 pm 08:55 am 08:04 pm 10:25 pm 11:18 am* 07:19 pm 08:15 am* 01:39 pm 01:27 am*
Nov 21 07:39 am 06:47 pm 09:08 am 08:17 pm 09:56 pm 10:49 am* 06:35 pm 07:31 am* 12:59 pm 12:48 am*
Nov 30 07:05 am 06:14 pm 09:18 am 08:30 pm 09:26 pm 10:19 am* 05:55 pm 06:51 am* 12:24 pm 12:13 am*

* = following day

Stars and Constellation

The northern constellations best observed in November are Cassiopeia, Andromeda, and Pisces. Meanwhile, the outstanding southern constellations are Cetus, Sculptor, Phoenix, and Tucana. The prominent constellations are placed directly overhead at 09:00 p.m. on 15 November 2024 as shown in Figure 1. [1,2]
Figure 1. The view of the night sky featuring the prominent November constellations at 09:00 p.m. on 15 November 2024 using the Stellarium software

Cassiopeia, the Seated Queen, is a circumpolar constellation that can be easily recognized by its five (5) brightest stars forming a "W" or "M" pattern. At magnitude 2.2, the orange giant Alpha Cassiopeiae, sometimes referred to by its given name Schedar, is typically the brightest star in the constellation, however, it is frequently outshone by Gamma Cassiopeiae, the eruptive variable star that can occasionally reach a brightness of magnitude 1.6. The constellation is home to several fascinating deep-sky objects. The Heart (IC 1805) and Soul (IC 1848) nebulae [Figure 2a], emission nebulae situated around 7,500 light-years away, are two of the most notable deep-sky objects in Cassiopeia. [2,3]

As the home of the largest neighbor of the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) [Figure 2b], Andromeda is one of the most well-known constellations in the sky. Numerous deep-sky objects can be found in this constellation, in addition to the Andromeda Galaxy, including the Blue Snowball Nebula (NGC 7662) and NGC 752. The brightest star in the constellation, Alpheratz, is a binary system made up of two intense blue stars. [2,4]

Pisces, the Fishes, is a relatively faint constellation that is one of the twelve (12) constellations of the zodiac. Its brightest star, Eta Piscium, also known as Alpherg or Kullat Nunu, with a magnitude of 3.62, is a massive star situated approximately 294 light-years away from Earth. It is a wealth of fascinating deep-sky objects, including the Phantom Galaxy (M74) [Figure 2c], a stunning face-on spiral galaxy that is one of the faintest Messier objects, and the interacting galaxies, NGC 520. [2,5]
Figure 2. The northern constellations

Cetus, the Whale, is an equatorial constellation that is observable from most areas in the Earth. With an area of 1,231 square degrees, it is considered the fourth (4th) largest constellation in the sky. Noteworthy stars are located in Cetus. Its brightest star, Diphda (Beta Ceti), is an orange giant that is around 96 light years away from Earth. The most famous star in the constellation, Mira or Omicron Ceti, is the first discovered variable star. Aside from the distinguished stars, the constellation also hosts fascinating deep-sky objects, such as Messier 77, a barred spiral galaxy that is one of the brightest galaxies in the sky, and the Skull Nebula (NGC 246) [Figure 3a]. [2,6]

Tucana, the Toucan, one of the Southern Birds in the sky, is well-known among stargazers in the south because it contains two brilliant, remarkable deep-sky objects, the globular cluster 47 Tucanae and most of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). In addition, the constellation houses star clusters NGC 346 [Figure 3b] and NGC 602 [Figure 3c] placed within the SMC. Its brightest star is Alpha Tucanae, a spectroscopic binary star with an apparent visual magnitude of 2.86. [2]
Figure 3. The southern constellations

Planetary Location

Mercury can be seen sitting low on the western sky while Venus will be visible about two to three hours after sunset as it sets in the southwestern horizon. Saturn will be present in the night sky from early evening until it dives into the western horizon an hour after midnight. Jupiter and Mars can be observed rising in the east as late-evening objects. [1,7]
Figure 4. The view of the southwestern sky showing the close pairing of the Waxing Crescent Moon and Venus on 05 November at 06:00 p.m. using Stellarium.

On 05 November at 07:42 a.m., the Waxing Crescent Moon and Venus will approach closely, passing within 3°05' of each other. It will be followed by the conjunction between these two objects, separated by 3°06', at 08:15 a.m. The exact event will not be observable as the two objects are still below the horizon. However, the best time to view their close pairings is at 06:00 p.m. on the same day until they set in the southwestern horizon [Figure 4], with the Moon shining at magnitude -10.3 and Venus at magnitude -4.0. [7,8,9]
Figure 5. The view of the night sky showing the close pairing of the Waxing Gibbous Moon and Saturn on 11 November at 06:00 p.m. using Stellarium.

The Waxing Gibbous Moon and Saturn will make a close approach on 11 November at 09:38 a.m., passing within a mere 4.7 arcminutes of each other. At about the same moment, the 10-day-old Moon will pass 5'24" north of Saturn as they will be in conjunction. Both objects lie behind the background stars of Aquarius. The exact timing of these events will not be visible for both objects are still below the horizon, but their close pairing can be seen around 06:00 p.m. on 11 November until they sink in the western horizon [Figure 5]. [7,10,11]

On 15 November at 10:37 p.m., Saturn will reach the end of its retrograde motion, reversing its course and moving to its usual eastward movement. All of the outer planets in the solar system periodically undergo this reversal of direction, which occurs a few months after they pass opposition. The following day at 04:09 p.m., Mercury, shining brightly at magnitude -0.3, will reach its Greatest Elongation East, when it will be farthest from the Sun by 22.5° in its evening apparition. [7,12,13]
Figure 6. The view of eastern sky showing the a) close approach at 09:52 p.m. and b) conjunction at 10:53 p.m. of the Moon and Jupiter on 17 November using Stellarium.

The Moon and Jupiter will pass in close proximity on 17 November at 09:52 PM, at about 5°36'. The two objects will then be in conjunction at 10:53 p.m., separated by 5°38'. Both are located in the constellation Taurus. The exact occurrence of these events will be visible above the eastern sky [Figure 6]. [7,14,15]

Mercury will be at its highest point in the evening sky on 18 November and will shine with a magnitude of -0.3. Mercury will undergo dichotomy at 08:32 a.m. on 21 November, when, as viewed from Earth, the planet appears half-illuminated. [16,17]

The 19-day-old Moon and Mars will share the same right ascension on 21 November at 05:09 a.m., separated by 2°26'. The two objects will make a close approach about an hour later, passing within 2°19' of each other. The Moon and Mars lie behind the background stars of Cancer, shining brightly at magnitudes -12.3 and -0.3, respectively. The exact occurrence of their conjunction will be visible above the northwestern sky [Figure 7], while their close approach will be unobservable because of the Sun’s presence. [7,18,19]
Figure 7. The view of the northern sky showing the Moon and Mars on 21 November at 05:09 a.m. using Stellarium.

All the conjunctions and near approaches mentioned between the planet and the moon, or planet to planet, will be visible enough to fit within the field of view of a telescope and can also be viewed with the naked eye or using a pair of binoculars.

Meteor Showers

The Leonid meteor shower will be active from 06 November to 30 November, with an expected peak of activity on 17 November. The view of the meteor shower may be observed once Leo, its radiant point, rises over the eastern horizon around 11:51 p.m. The radiant will be highest in the sky from around 05:00 a.m. to 06:00 a.m. Thus, the shower will produce the best display before dawn [Figure 8], with up to 15 observable meteors per hour. The moonlight will present significant interference with the meteor shower viewing during its peak activity. [20,21]
Figure 8. The view of the west northwestern sky during the peak of Leonid meteor shower on 17 November 2024 at 05:00 a.m. when the shower’s radiant is represented by the green solid circle.

Meteor showers are observable through the naked eye, and no special equipment such as telescopes or binoculars is needed. Maximize the viewing experience by choosing a dark observation site away from the city lights under clear and moonless sky conditions.

Watch: Astronomical Events for November 2024

Notes and References

Notes:
*following day
• All times displayed are in Philippine Standard Time (PhST)

References:
[1] PAGASA Special Publication No. 840; The Philippine Star Atlas 2019/Stellarium Software
[2] C. Guide, “Constellations: A Guide to the Night Sky.” https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellations-by- month/november-constellations/, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[3] Go Astronomy, “CASSIOPEIA CONSTELLATION” https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Cassiopeia, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[4] Go Astronomy, “ANDROMEDA CONSTELLATION” https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Andromeda, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[5] Go Astronomy, “PISCES CONSTELLATION” https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Pisces, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[6] Go Astronomy, “CETUS CONSTELLATION” https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Cetus, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[7] Multi-Interactive Computer Almanac (MICA) /, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[8] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Close approach of the Moon and Venus” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241104_15_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[9] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Conjunction of the Moon and Venus” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241105_20_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[10] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Close approach of the Moon and Saturn” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241111_15_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[11] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241111_20_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[12] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Saturn ends retrograde motion” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241115_12_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[13] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Mercury at greatest elongation east” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241116_11_101, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[14] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Close approach of the Moon and Jupiter” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241117_15_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[15] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241117_20_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[16] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Mercury at highest altitude in evening sky” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241116_11_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[17] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Mercury at dichotomy” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241121_11_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[18] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Conjunction of the Moon and Mars” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241120_20_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[19] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Close approach of the Moon and Mars” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241120_15_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[20] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Leonid meteor shower 2024” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20241117_10_100, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.
[21] List of Meteor Showers for Observation Session – IMO – International Meteor Organization https://www.imo.net/members/imo_showers/working_shower_list, Last accessed on 2024-10-24, 2024.



For more information, call or email:

Ms. Ma. Rosario C. Ramos
Chief, SSAS - RDTD
PAGASA - DOST
Diliman, Quezon City
Trunkline: 8284-0800 loc 3015, 3016, 3017
Email add: astronomy@pagasa.dost.gov.ph

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