In the Sky This Month

November is a time of transition in the night sky. The signature star pattern of summer, the Summer Triangle, drops down the western sky during the evening, while some of the leading constellations of winter, including Orion and Canis Major, creep into view by mid- to late-evening. The zone between them is noticeably devoid of bright stars and constellations. It is dominated by the “celestial sea,” a collection of faint star patterns with a watery theme that stretches from Capricornus, the sea goat, to Cetus, the sea monster. Lonely Fomalhaut, in Pisces Austrinus, the southern fish, is the only bright spot in this stretch of stars.