On Nov 1, our “sister” planet, Venus, blazes in the southwest just after sunset. Even though the Sun sets at nearly 6pm, you should be able to see it before then because it is so bright. Venus will journey back toward the Sun after this till we lose it in the glare by the end of December and then it becomes a pre-dawn object. If you have the opportunity to view Venus through a telescope, you will see that it has phases just like our Moon.
The most exciting event occurs on Sunday, November 3rd, when the Sun rises in partial eclipse due to the Moon partly blocking our view. URGENT INFORMATION! DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT PROPER FILTERS. Astronomers have those. My astronomy club, the Amateur Observers’ Society of NY, www.aosny.org, and the NYS Parks Dept would like to invite you to view this phenomenon, safely, with us at the Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center at Jones Beach at 6am on November 3rd. The eclipse end at 7:11am. You must reserve your position as space is limited by calling 516-780-3295 or 785-3614. There is a $4 per person fee to the Parks Dept. We’ll be watching the weather and hope for clear skies.
