The Sky This Month: November–December 2004

All times are in EST.

Nov 19	Fri	00:50 AM	First quarter Moon
Nov 20	Sat	01:00 PM	Mercury greatest elogation E (22°)
Nov 26	Fri	03:07 PM	Full Moon
Dec 4	Sat	07:53 PM	Last quarter Moon
Dec 5	Sun	02:00 AM	Venus 1.3° N of Mars
Dec 6–9	Mon-Thu		Deep sky observing (1st clear night)
Dec 7	Tue	03:54 AM–05:00 AM	Moon occults Jupiter
Dec 9	Thu	07:00 PM	Mars 2° N of Moon
Dec 11	Sat	08:29 PM	New Moon
Dec 13, 14, 16	Mon Tue Thu		City observing (1st clear night)
Dec 13	Mon	05:00 PM	Geminid meteors peak

Taurus and Eridanus

Object	Designation	Constellation	Details
Comet	C/2004 Q2	Columba - Eridanus	mag 7.0 - 5.1/0.79 - 0.46 au Comet Machholz
Double	Theta (78 & 77)	Taurus	mag 3.4 3.8/sep 337.4"/pa 346°/149 & 158 ly
Double	DS-14 32	Eridanus	mag 4.8 6.1/sep 6.8"/pa 347°/345 ly  ****
Double	DS-28 Gamma	Lepus	mag 3.7 6.3/sep 96"/pa 350° ****
Carbon star Variable	R	Lepus	Mira/mag 5.5 - 11.7 /432d/826 ly/Hind's Crimson Star **** http://www.aavso.org/charts/LEP/R_LEP/RLEP-A.GIF http://www.aavso.org/charts/LEP/R_LEP/RLEP-B.GIF
Open Cluster	M 45	Taurus	mag 1.2/410 ly/The Pleiades *****
Open Cluster	Melotte 25	Taurus	mag 0.8/150 ly/The Hyades ****
Supernova remnant	M 1	Taurus	mag 8.4/6,500 ly/The Crab Nebula ***
Planetary nebula	NGC 1535	Eridanus	mag 10.4/sb 7.2/6,000 ly *****
Galaxy	NGC 1232	Eridanus	mag 9.9/sb 13.9/70 million ly ****
Galaxy	NGC 1407	Eridanus	mag 9.7/sb 12.9/60 million ly ***
Globular cluster	M 79	Lepus	mag 7.7/40,000 ly ****