NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
November 3,
2023
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**John Inman sends a few more photos of the Red-tailed Hawk on
its own table now that the raccoon family is not using it. John feels certain it
is the same hawk that has been coming for 14 years for raw meat treats he puts
out for it. It appears the hawk is in sight anywhere on the property, as they just
go out and whistle, waving the feed bag, and it heads right over for a meal as
in years past.
** Friday has arrived and our day to review what next week’s
night sky may have in store for us courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason.
This
Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2023 November 4 – November 11
The Pleiades star cluster is rising now in the early evening. Also known as M45
or the Seven Sisters, and sometimes mistaken to be the Little Dipper, this
compact eye-catcher represents the shoulder of Taurus the Bull. Over the next
two hours the rest of the constellation clears the eastern horizon; in
particular, the V-shaped Hyades star cluster anchored by orange Aldebaran, and
the two stars marking the tips of the bull’s long horns.
In mythology, Zeus changed himself into a beautiful white bull to attract the
attention of Europa, a princess of Sidon. She was taken by its gentleness and
made the mistake of climbing on its back. Bully Zeus took off to the nearby
seashore and swam all the way to Crete, where he changed back into his godly
form and completed his conquest. The result was a baby boy who was named Minos,
and he grew up to become the first King of Crete.
One of the horn stars of Taurus had been shared with the constellation Auriga.
This star, Elnath, was officially assigned to Taurus when the constellation
boundaries were set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in the late
1920s. Taurus is one of the zodiac constellations, as the ecliptic passes
between the Pleiades and Hyades and also between the horn-tips. Since the
Moon's orbit is tilted to the ecliptic by about five degrees, at times it can
be seen passing in front of the Pleiades and Aldebaran.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 8:03 and sunset will occur at 6:00, giving
9 hours, 57 minutes of daylight (8:07 and 6:07 in Saint John). Next Saturday
the Sun will rise at 7:13 and set at 4:51, giving 9 hours, 38 minutes of
daylight (7:16 and 4:59 in Saint John). Note that the clocks go back to Standard
Time this Sunday at 2 am.
The Moon is at third quarter phase this Sunday and it is near Venus Thursday
morning. Try to spot them together with binoculars halfway up the southern sky
at 9:30, and then try for a daylight view of Venus with just your eyes. Jupiter
appears higher in the east each evening after sunset, and telescope users might
see its Red Spot around 7:30 Wednesday and 9 on Friday. Saturn is at its best
for observing in the early evening. We could see some extra shooting stars
emanating from Taurus, between the Pleiades and Jupiter, over the week as the
South Taurid and North Taurid meteor showers peak this weekend and next,
respectively.
The Saint John Astronomy Club meets this Saturday in the Rockwood Park
Interpretation Centre at 7 pm. The Sunday Night Astronomy Show from Saint John
and Hampton airs at 8 pm Sunday on the Facebook page and YouTube channel of
Astronomy by the Bay.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
