What’s Up in the Night Sky? November 2021 by Fred Barrett

Fred Barrett | Nov 17, 2021

In the early morning of November 19th at 3:19 am, we have a Full Moon – but with a special treat. Between 2am and 5am, a total penumbral eclipse takes place. Remember that an eclipse of the Moon can only occur at full moon when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon and casts a shadow on the Moon. It is not particularly rare. It happens a minimum of 2 times to a maximum of 5 times a year but it’s rare to observe one because you have to be in the right place and the right time on Earth to see it. To muddle things a bit, there are 3 kinds of lunar eclipses.

In a total eclipse of the Moon, the dark inner part of the Earth’s shadow, called the umbra, falls on the moon’s face. The entire Moon is in dark shadow and it may often appear blood red.

A second type of eclipse is called a partial eclipse where the umbra only takes a bite out of the Moon. The dark bite grows larger and then smaller, never completely covering the Moon.

What we have on the early morning of November 19th is called a penumbral lunar eclipse. In this third type of eclipse, only the diffuse outer shadow of the Earth, called the penumbra, falls on the moon’s face. It’s much more subtle and more difficult to observe than either the total or partial eclipses. There is no dark bite taken out of the Moon since the umbra never touches or covers the Moon. Observant moon watchers will notice a gray shading slip across the moon’s surface to completely cover it. Creepy!

Another spectacle this month is the annual Leonid meteor shower. It peaks on the 17th and is well worth viewing in the days following the peak. Unfortunately, the almost full moon interferes with good meteor watching. It helps to observe the shower if you position yourself in a spot where the moon is blocked – like behind a wall or house.

Venus can be found in the southwest in the evening and Jupiter and Saturn are in the south heading for the southwest by midnight. By morning you can find Mars and Mercury very low in the east.

Highlights:

November 17: Leonid meteor shower peaks. November 19: Full Moon occurs at 3:57 am EST. Penumbral eclipse occurs. This Full Moon is called the Full Beaver Moon or the Full Deer Rutting Moon. Beaver have finished their work for the year and retire to their lodges for the winter – sounds comfy. And deer run about doing what comes natural. November 20: The Moon is at apogee – 403,920 Kms.

A new contest begins next month. I have the illustrated book “The Elements” up for grabs as a special Christmas treat. It could be yours for under the tree! Stay safe and keep looking up!

Useful books, star charts and related items for beginners and through to advanced amateurs can be ordered from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada at www.rasc.ca/publications. A subscription to our very own excellent Canadian astronomy magazine “SkyNews” can be arranged at the RASC website as well.

Let me know how your observing has gone this month, especially anything unusual. I enjoy the feedback. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can contact me through this paper or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Clear Skies! Fred