Star Party Stories and November’s Night Sky

• Sky map for week starting November 3, 2024
• Episode 41 on YouTube

[Music]

VO:

Howdy stargazers, and welcome to this episode of Star Trails. I’m Drew, and I’ll be your guide to the night sky for the week starting November 3rd to the 9th.

Today’s show is going to be a little different from our usual format. Last weekend I attended a star party hosted by my local astronomy club, so I thought it would be fun to take you inside the party, where I had the chance to chat with astronomy enthusiasts of all ages, from seasoned stargazers to curious newcomers.

And later in the show, we’ll take a look at what you can expect to see in the night sky as we kick off November with darker skies. So grab a comfortable spot under the night sky, and let’s get started!

[Music fades]

[Sound: Ambient crowd noise, gentle guitar strumming]

VO:  

Being at a star party is like stepping into a shared dream—a mix of curiosity, excitement, and a touch of nostalgia. Tonight, the Midlands Astronomy Club converges at one of their secluded observation sites. The twice-yearly gathering is a chance for family, friends and those curious about the hobby. 

After an hour’s drive northward, with daylight waning, I arrived at the club’s dark sky sanctuary, just in time to join the familiar faces that bring these nights to life — seasoned observers, club veterans, and newcomers. Telescopes of all kinds already point skyward, waiting for nightfall.

Skies are clear for now, but a front is forecasted to arrive this evening and that could bring clouds or even rain. The real star of the event is the food, and we’ll enjoy the cookout, even if observation is impossible.

[Sound: Sizzling grill]

Club president Mike Roberts, who normally plans the club’s monthly meetings and topics, has one of the most important roles of the night. Manning the grill:

MIKE:

“Most of us have been doing this for our entire life. And, you know, it’s a hobby that we pursued. And, I just like getting out there and looking, looking at the sky.”

VO:  

But it’s not just about looking at the stars — it’s about sharing that fascination, connecting with others who feel the same pull of the cosmos. Hap Griffin was one of the original members to build an observatory on the site some years ago.

HAP:

Well, you know, it’s a chance for people like us that are just enamored by the night sky to get together. And, commensurate about things that we like to, you know, the similarities of the things that we like together and getting together with people that are interested in the same things. You two are under a really magnificent night sky is just just the best.

VO:

Between Hap’s observatory and his neighbor Frank’s, an impromptu gathering place has formed. Astronomers huddle together, guitars in hand, sharing melodies and stories beneath the darkening sky. Most of these club members have known each other for years. I’m a relative newcomer, but before I knew it, someone handed me a guitar and invited me to join in over the murmur of cosmic chatter.

[Sound: People discussing constellations]

FRANK:

Quote about building a scope/hauling the scope around.

[Sound: Ambiance]

WES:

“Well, I joined the club when I was 13 or 14 years old. I’ve been in astronomy since 1985 as a first grader.”

VO:

That’s past club president Wes Munn.

WES:

I started with a department store telescope from the old Service Merchandise. You probably remember those in the 80s. It showed me the craters of the moon. And I thought only PhD scientists could see that. I treated that thing like it was my own Lowell Observatory or, you know, Mauna Kea Observatory. I just felt like I just discovered the moon myself.

VO:

For many, telescopes are more than tools — they’re extensions of a passion for the stars, each scope reflecting its owner’s unique story. 

[Sound: Steve’s scope]

Amateur astronomer Steve Dornburg takes pride in using what would be deemed a vintage scope nowadays. His blue, gray and gold Dynamax scope looked futuristic in the early 80s, but has since graduated to retro-cool status, judging by how many gawkers he gets when he sets it up. 

STEVE:

Assuming I can keep my optics from fogging up, I’ll get my eight inch Schmidt-Cassegrain made by Dynamax, which is no longer in production. Out here. And we’ll take a look at some stars.

VO:

In an era when most astronomers are using some sort of computer-assisted guiding, or a smart scope, Steve relies on methods more in line with the age of his scope, which still renders beautiful views of planets and deep sky objects. 

STEVE:

It’s all about the optics. At the end of the day, I don’t have a lot of the gee whiz, computer technology because I simply didn’t exist when I bought the telescope. But it can track. It does have a drive motor that can track if I align it properly. And, other than that, I have a Tyrian epoch 2000 star chart in here, that I can look things up, and it’s not totally current. Some of the stars may have drifted a bit in 24 years, but they should be relatively close for my right ascension, and declination may be a bit off, but, hey.

VO:

Across the field, a crowd has lined up to view the setting sun through a solar scope. 

[Sound: Solar observations]

VO:

Guests quickly learn that if a scope is pointed at the sky, chances are they’ll be invited to peer into it.

HAP:

When you come to a star party, there’s going to be generally a number of different types of telescopes to look through. If you’re trying to get an idea for a telescope that you might want to buy. If you’re a beginner, it’s great to look through a lot of different types of telescopes. Because there’ll be a half a dozen different types of scopes here, and you can see what the pluses and minuses are of each and things like that. So a star party is a great chance to, to actually, kick the tires. So to speak, on other people’s equipment. And they’re happy for you to look through it or they wouldn’t have brought it.”

[Sound: Paul at his scope]

VO:

For Paul Romanyszyn, who has been the club’s observation chairman for 20 years, education is at the core of the club’s mission.

PAUL:

“One of the things is as if you have a telescope for long enough, you need motivation to take it out. So the reason to take it out is to show people stuff.”

VO:

And it’s true. There’s an excitement in introducing someone to their first sight of Saturn’s rings or a star cluster. The reactions are often the same – a moment of disbelief, followed by awe.

[Sound: Paul at his scope]

PAUL:

We do programs for schools. We try to do them around the first quarter moon. So there’s something that’s got nice visuals.

VO:

The clouds that were threatening earlier have officially rolled in, covering up the handful of twilight targets that were being studied. 

[Sound: Blues guitar]

VO:

But no one is singing the blues.

HAP:

Some of our best star parties have been where it did cloud up, and we just all sat around and talked. I remember one, we were supposed to watch a meteor shower, I think, and a bunch of us got together and we didn’t see a single meteor, but we sat around and talked, and I thought, here, people that know what I’m talking about, and they and I know what they’re talking about, you know, and when I mentioned some big technical term or some concept, the fact that they understand what I’m talking about and that they’re talking about the same things that I’m talking about, it was just it was it was enlightening. It was like, hey, Bing, you know, the light went off. You know, I’ve got to be a part of this forever.

VO:

Drizzle has begun and several of us hastily toss our gear into cars and prepare for the long ride home. For most newcomers the experience has been worth it.

FEMALE OBSERVER: 

“I saw Saturn and I saw the moon right next to Saturn, which I am very surprised to see in this telescope… how you are able to see a different side of Saturn. And I also enjoyed this solar telescope. That was very surprising. I actually didn’t expect to see a spot on the sun.”

MALE OBSERVER:

“I saw Saturn pretty close. It was pretty unique. I saw the moon, and I saw the sun earlier.”

[Sound: Light rain]

VO: 

The sky, to these stargazers, is a canvas that stretches into infinity. It’s alive with stories that reveal new wonders. Each time they look, they see something new — a brightening star, a comet, or simply the vastness of space itself.

MIKE:

“The sky is not painted on. It actually has depth and meaning. If you look at the sky through a telescope… you’re going to see farther out. So basically what it is is that no matter, no matter, you know, when you look at it, it’s like you’re always going to be able to see more.”

[Sound: Mandolin and guitar music, relaxed crowd noise]

VO:

Here, it’s rarely JUST about what you see. It’s the moments of shared wonder and the camaraderie that binds them together — under a sky that feels a little less vast when shared with others.

[Music]

VO:

I hope you enjoyed that report from the field, and special thanks go to all the folks who agreed to be interviewed. You can learn more about the club at their website, midlandsastronomyclub.com.

[Music fades]

VO:

This first week of November promises to be great for early evening stargazing sessions, as the Moon’s faint crescent and early set times allow for dark skies by mid-evening. Also, Daylight Saving Time ended today for observers in North America, so we have an extra hour of evening darkness for stargazing.

Hopefully you didn’t bank on seeing the so-called Halloween Comet, C/2024 S1 (ATLAS). Astronomers were predicting this one to be bright enough for daylight viewing, and then – as comets sometimes do – it was vaporized on its trip around the sun. Flying as close as 850,000 miles away from the Sun, this comet was considered a “sungrazer.” Maybe they should have called it “Icarus.”

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan–ATLAS is still out there, but it’s fading fast. You may still be able to catch it with binoculars in a dark western sky for another week or so. 

[Transition FX]

On November 4 the Moon will be in a thin waxing crescent phase, creating a beautiful sight in the southwestern sky alongside Venus, appearing around 45 minutes after sunset. Venus will be just a few degrees above the Moon, providing a striking view for early evening observers. The Moon will be at first quarter by the end of the week, so if you’re out moon watching, scan your scope or binoculars along the terminator – the dividing line of day and night on the Moon, to catch detail in 3D relief. 

The Taurid Meteor Shower will be visible from now until mid-month. Known for producing a few bright fireballs, the Taurids are best observed around midnight. Although not as prolific as other meteor showers, it can reveal around 5-15 meteors per hour under ideal conditions.

Venus is low in the southwestern sky after sunset and bright, gradually setting about two hours after the Sun as it moves eastward through Ophiuchus. Saturn will be visible in the south after sunset, situated in Aquarius. The ringed planet’s position makes it a reliable sight for early evening viewing. Jupiter rises later in the east near the constellation Taurus, shining brightly throughout the night. Its proximity to the Pleiades star cluster (and Aldebaran, the “eye” of Taurus) adds extra allure to the view.

Mars will begin its ascent around midnight, showing its reddish hue as it moves closer to Earth. It will gradually brighten through November.

[Transition FX]

This time of year offers up some classic deep-sky objects loved by both new and veteran stargazers. First up is the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the closest large galaxy to our Milky Way. In dark skies, you can spot it with the naked eye as a faint, oblong smudge high in the northeast after sunset. With binoculars or a small telescope, you’ll see more structure and appreciate the grandeur of our neighboring galaxy, located more than two million light-years away. To find it, start with the constellation Cassiopeia, shaped like a “W,” and guide your view right toward the Andromeda constellation nearby.

Another highlight is the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters, which rises in the eastern evening sky within the constellation Taurus. The cluster looks like a small, misty dipper to the naked eye, and through binoculars, its individual blue stars shine beautifully against the dark sky. It’s easy to find near the bright orange star Aldebaran.

Orion, rising later in the night, brings us the breathtaking Orion Nebula (M42), found just below Orion’s famous belt. Even without any equipment, you’ll see a soft glow in Orion’s sword, and through binoculars, M42 reveals itself as a cloud of gas and dust—a stellar nursery where new stars are born. The nebula is one of the easiest and brightest deep-sky objects to observe, making it a favorite during the late-night and early-morning hours.

Finally, don’t miss the Double Cluster in Perseus. Located between Perseus and Cassiopeia, this pair of neighboring star clusters glows faintly to the naked eye but reveals a stunning array of bright blue stars in binoculars. It’s a treat on crisp autumn nights, and it’s easily accessible from northern skies. 

[Outro music]

That’s it for today’s episode of Star Trails. If you found this episode informative or entertaining, please share it with a friend. The easiest way to do that is by visiting our website, startrails.show, where you can find all our episodes, including transcripts, night sky maps and more. 

Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the night sky. Clear skies, everyone!