• Astronomy: October is the best month to observe Mars in 14 years

  • Appointment with the sky: the face of the Moon, between Jupiter and Saturn

The planets will be splendid in November.

Mars throughout the night, Jupiter and Saturn partnering in the first night half, and Venus at the end of the night will meet Mercury at dawn.

These five planets, named after gods, have been observed by all civilizations since ancient times.

Autumn path

We can always remember our connection with the cosmos by following the trajectories of the planets in the sky, and this month of November offers us a magnificent opportunity to do so.

As we move into the fall,

each night it gains about two minutes a day,

thus facilitating the observation of the five planets that are visible to the naked eye and known since ancient times.

God of War

Despite the fact that Mars is moving away from its opposition (through which it passed on October 13),

its intense orange glow is still impressive to us

.

After dark, these days Mars appears already high above the horizon and remains visible for most of the night.

It will be particularly spectacular to observe it in conjunction with the gibbous moon on the night of Wednesday 25 to Thursday 26 November.

The two stars will then appear at an apparent distance of 5 degrees, the size of our thumb when viewed at arm's length.

Seeing him, it is not surprising that, in Roman civilization, he was associated with the god of war.

Its reddish color is reminiscent of blood.

It is natural, since this color has a common cause in both cases: both in blood and on Mars, the high iron content determines its resounding coloration.

The ancient Greeks had named the god of war Ares.

There is a star,

the brightest in the constellation Scorpio

, which is close to the ecliptic and therefore appears from time to time near Mars.

This star rivals Mars for displaying the same kind of reddish glow;

for that reason it received the name of Antares (Ante-Ares, rival of Ares or Mars).

Giant brothers

Jupiter and Saturn continue to be seen very close in the sky, each day a little closer to each other until they reach their closest approach on December 21.

These giant planets, the fifth and sixth in the solar system, are visible in the southwest during the early part of the night.

Jupiter is the brighter of the two and, as we look at them, the one that is further west (further to our right).

They will form a very beautiful picture with the fine edge of the crescent moon on the night of November 18 to 19, when we can also take the opportunity to observe the ashen light on the lunar disk.

Jupiter, Saturn and the crescent moon on November 19 after twilight.Stellarium / RB

Jupiter is often

the brightest of the stars visible to the naked eye

(after the Sun and the Moon).

That is why it received its name from the Roman god father of gods and men, its Greek equivalent was Zeus, king of gods and supervisor of the universe.

Saturn owes its name to the Roman god of agriculture related to the Greek titan Cronos.

Rocky interiors

We will continue to see Venus shining brilliantly before sunrise, to the southeast, not far from the bright star Spica, the brightest in Virgo.

After Venus, Mercury will rise, with the sky clearing at dawn.

The two inner planets can be seen in a beautiful conjunction with the edge of the waning moon at dawn on Friday the 13th. But, to appreciate little Mercury, it will be necessary to stand in a place free of artificial lights and with the horizon clear of obstacles. for Mercury will rise just a little more than 5 degrees above the horizon line before fading into the diffuse orange glow of dawn.

Venus got its name from the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite of the Greeks.

And the association is extremely successful because the beauty of this rocky planet cannot be doubted when its brilliance shines at sunrise or sunset.

Besides Earth,

Venus is the only planet with a female gender name

.

Mercury was associated with Apollo and Hermes by the ancient Greeks, and ended up receiving its current name from the Roman god of commerce and messenger of the gods, equivalent to the Greek Hermes.

Rafael Bachiller is director of the National Astronomical Observatory (National Geographic Institute) and academic of the Royal Academy of Doctors of Spain.

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