Friday, November 15, 2024

Saturn Stops Reversing (evening)

On Saturday night, November 15, Saturn's westward retrograde motion through
the stars of central Aquarius will slow to a stop as it completes a retrograde loop that it began in July. Saturn's magnitude 0.9, yellowish dot will appear in the lower part of the southeastern sky at dusk, climb to its highest point due south at 7:15 p.m. local time, and then set in the west around 12:30 a.m. Retrograde loops occur when Earth, on a faster orbit closer to the sun, passes more distant solar system objects "on the inside track", making them appear to move backwards across the stars for a while. Saturn's loop covered about a palm's width, or 6 degrees of the celestial sphere.

Full Frost SuperMoon

The November Full Moon, traditionally known as the Beaver Moon or Frost Moon, always shines within or near the stars of Taurus and Aries. The moon will
reach its full phase at 4:29 p.m. EST, 1:29 p.m. PST, or 21:29 UT on Friday, November 15. Indigenous groups have their own names for the full moons, which lit the way of the hunter or traveler at night before modern conveniences like flashlights. The Anishinaabe people of the Great Lakes region call this one Mnidoons Giizis Oonhg, the "Little Spirit Moon", a time of healing. The Cree Nation of central Canada calls it Kaskatinowipisim, the "Rivers Freeze-up Moon", when the lakes and rivers start to freeze. The Haudenosaunee
Confederacy (Iroquois / Mohawk) of Eastern North America call it Kentenhko:wa, the "Time of Much Poverty Moon". Full moons that occur during the cold months in North America will climb as high in the sky as the summer noonday sun, and cast similar shadows. Since the moon passed perigee 1.4 days ago, this will also be the last of four consecutive supermoons in 2024, appearing about 6% larger and 16% brighter than an average full moon.

(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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