Venus dominates the southwest, the return of standard time, and a near-miss with the Moon and Saturn! Keep reading to discover what is visible in our night skies from mid-Missouri.

Moon Approaches Venus and Saturn

In early November, the Moon makes a close approach to both Venus and Saturn in our sky. On November 4, spot the crescent Moon appears near bright Venus in the southwestern sky. The “teapot” of Sagittarius can also be found close by. On November 10, the Moon and Saturn create a rare sight in the sky. The Moon will have a near-miss with the planet Saturn, nearly occulting, or blocking the view of the planet.

The Return of Standard Time

Each year on the first Sunday of November, most of us living in the United States “fall back” to Standard Time. While this does depends on the state you live in, every March and November many people see or hear debates on the relevance or necessity of using Standard vs. Daylight Time.

Daylight Saving Time is the practice of setting clocks one hour off from Standard Time to “use” more daylight during spring, summer, and early fall. Daylight Saving Time was first used and popularized by Germany and Austria in 1916 during World War I. Many countries around the world use Daylight Saving Time, including the US, but the dates vary from country to country. This is due to differing daylight hours around the world depending on a country’s latitude. Countries located near the equator naturally get more daylight hours than those in the mid- to high- latitudes due to the Earth’s tilt.

Whether you are pro-Daylight Saving Time or not, be prepared to turn your clocks back on November 3! Enjoy the extra hour of sleep!

Moon Phases

New Moon: November 1

First Quarter Moon: November 8

Full Moon: November 15

Third Quarter Moon: November 22

The traditional name for the November Full Moon is the “Beaver Moon” named after beavers who begin building their winter dams at this time of year. Other Native American names for this month’s moon are the Frost Moon, Freezing Moon, and Snow Moon.