Earthsky Tonight - Nov 04 2009

Moonlight wipes out South Taurid meteor shower

Tonight is NOV 04, 2009

Tonight, by about 8:00 p.m., the waning gibbous moon and the constellation Taurus the Bull will appear together over your eastern horizon. Thereafter, the moon will shine in front of the Bull for the rest of the night.

The radiant points for two November meteor showers – the South Taurids and North Taurids – both reside in front of Taurus. If you trace the paths of shower meteors backward, each shower appears to radiate from a certain point in the starry sky. As can be expected, the radiant point for the South Taurids is found in southern Taurus, while that of the North Taurids is found in northern Taurus.

The South Taurids are expected to peak after midnight tonight, but unfortunately, the bright moon will wipe out all or most of this year’s 2009 South Taurid meteor display. However, the moonlit glare will be much less obtrusive when the North Taurids peak a week from now, on the night of November 11-12.

Although the moon will make it easy to locate Taurus tonight, the glare will make it difficult to visualize the starlit figure of the Bull. This evening, you may be able to make out Aldebaran, Taurus’ brightest star, to the moon’s lower right, and Elnath, Taurus’ second brightest star, to the lower left.

Related:

EarthSky’s meteor shower guide for 2009

Written by Kelley Knight Heins

Comments (3)

at 4.51 pm on 11-04-2009 John

I know the Earth axis is tilted 23 degrees off its orbital plane around the Sun. How many degrees is the Moon's orbit around the Earth off of the Earth's solar orbital plane and is this constant year round?

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at 07.23 am on 11-05-2009 Bruce McClure

John and James,

As John says, the Earth's rotational axis is not straight up and down relative to the ecliptic - the plane of the Earth's orbit around the sun. Earth's axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees out of perpendicular to the ecliptic. However, the moon's rotational axis is tilted only about 1.5 degrees out of perpendicular to the ecliptic - or the Earth's orbital plane. The moon's axis is so straight up and down that certain high peaks near the poles are in perpetual sunlight while some craters are in perpetual shadow. Whereas the moon's rotational axis is tilted 1.5 degrees, the plane of the moon's orbit around Earth is inclined by about 5 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic.

at 6.05 pm on 11-04-2009 James

That’s a hell of a question! John, and it's valid, a curiosity at least to me, because I can’t answer it.

Thanks again for this web site.
It’s taken many years (my age), for my interest to vary, and now? I am just discovering the night sky. I wish I could see more. City lights and trees don't help my view. Lets all enjoy every night.

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