In the Sky This Month

A minor dust storm will sweep into Earth’s upper atmosphere the next few nights, producing a smattering of Leonid meteors. But the Moon will overpower the show. Only the brightest “shooting stars” will shine through the moonglow.

One of the signature star patterns of summer, the Summer Triangle, remains in fine view. It is high in the west at nightfall. The brightest star in the triangle is Vega, in the constellation Lyra.

The just-past-full Moon has a close, bright companion tonight: the star Aldebaran, which represents the eye of the bull. They are in view all night.

Gemini is known for its brightest stars, Pollux and Castor. They mark the heads of the mythological twins. The stars climb into view, in the east-northeast, by about 10 o’clock. Castor stands a bit above its brighter “twin.”

Mercury, the innermost planet, will pass across the face of the Sun today. All or most of the transit will be visible from most of the United States. Don’t look at the Sun directly, though. You need eye protection to gaze upon this rare alignment.

Tomorrow morning’s sky offers a conjunction between Mars and Spica, the brightest star of the constellation Virgo. They will be low in the east-southeast during early twilight. Spica is the brighter of the two, with orange Mars close to the left.

Chi Cygni, a star that pulses in and out like a beating heart, aligns near the neck of Cygnus, the swan, which stands high overhead at nightfall. The pulsations cause Chi Cygni’s size and brightness to change dramatically.

The planet Mercury will crawl across the face of the Sun on Monday. Its passage will be visible across all of the United States except most of Alaska. Don’t look at it directly, though. Instead, use eclipse glasses or watch it online.

Aquarius, one of the constellations of the zodiac, stretches from south to southeast at nightfall, with its brightest stars to the right of the Moon. The constellation represents a young man or boy pouring water from a jug.

The tiny dipper-shaped Pleiades star cluster climbs into good view on November nights. It is in the east in mid-evening, high in the sky around midnight, and low in the west at dawn.