ALERT NEWSLETTER – November 2024

Hi everyone,

I hope this finds you well, and enjoying the calm, dry weather of the Fall Season.

While we have this lull in our weather, we must remember that November is the beginning of the
Fall tornado season and that the Fall season is often more severe than the Spring Season.

Just as in the Spring, you need to review your plans and procedures and take this time brush up on your skills, check and prepare your equipment

What condition are your antennas in? Have you checked the cables and SWR lately?

Does your transmitter still transmit, and your receiver still receive?

How long has it been since you charged your handie-talkies? Don’t trust that “battery indicator”, as it may be for “show” only, showing a full charge, when the battery is running on fumes.

If you bought an HT for “SHTF”, have you learned how to use it by getting the appropriate license and learning the skill through regular use?

That is the only way you can learn what works, doesn’t work, when, where and why, and how to overcome problems that reveal themselves, and what to expect performance and skill wise.

Part of “preparedness” is preparing – learning and practicing skills and equipment. You want to be so accustomed to using radios that it’s just as normal as using a telephone. My wife and I are both hams, in fact that is how we met, talking on the air and at the BARC meetings. To us “switching to the radio” is just as normal as breathing.

While the sun is shining you want to take the time to learn and prepare now. For, if you wait, assuming everything will work when all Hades has broken loose, it may be tragically too late.

And this applies to every skill you are banking on. Learn now, prepare now, practice now.

That library of books you bought, or downloaded. Have you read any of the material? The knowledge contained doesn’t just waft through the air and enter your brain as you sleep. You need to program the information in the most sophisticated supercomputer ever created – your brain.

And, again, if you wait until the disaster has occurred to try to learn, it’s too late. Game over.

While mentioning radios, does your NOAA Weatheradio have a battery backup? If so, make sure you have fresh batteries and that it still works. NOAA tests these radios (unless severe weather is expected) every Saturday and Wednesday around 11 AM.

If you use a Smartphone, install phone Apps from local broadcast media and make sure your phone Apps are up to date. You can bookmark websites, such as radar and information sources.

Never rely on social media posts. Even broadcast media sources, as some social media algorithms can accidently “bury” a warning in the newsfeed and be very much delayed. Even by days.

Also, beware of good meaning “amateur weather experts”, including myself. Instead trust the REAL experts at our NWS. They have the training, knowledge and expertise which you can place confidence in.

What about “tornado sirens”? Don’t depend on them, as not all locations have them and you can be in an acoustical shadow even if you are in an area that does have them, and not hear them.

If you DO hear one sounding, try to find out why it is sounding.

Is it a test or a warning and if it is a warning, what type of warning? We think “weather”, but, given the times in which we live, it could be something much more dire.

I don’t call myself a “prepper”. My parents were of the World War II / Great Depression Generation, and they believed in keeping a stocked pantry, taking care of your things, not being wasteful, and putting things back in case an “Oh Crap” situation occurred.

So, I just carry on that philosophy, and believe in keeping my eyes and ears open, (and I don’t listen to nuts and conspiracy theories) but, being prepared in case the transmission falls out, I break a leg, a tornado visits or we get a “gift from abroad”.

That said, here’s hoping for a calm Fall as we look forward to Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season.

Stay safe!

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Do You Know Your Weather Warning Lingo?

One hears many terms bandied about during the severe weather season, and it pays to your know weather terminology.

Broadcast stations issue “Weather Awares”, “Weather Impact Days” and “First Alerts”, which are useful as they give you a heads up that there are potential weather dangers and impacts in the near future, but only the SPC and NWS issue actual watches and warnings.

Tornado Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center in Norman Oklahoma.

A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form in or near the Watch area. The Watch area typically covers a rather large multi-county area.

There are two types of Tornado Watches – the Standard type and the PDS or “Particularly Dangerous Situation” type, which is issued when the SPC believes there will be a major tornado outbreak.

Usually the Tornado Watch as given by NOAA Weather Radio and Broadcast Media is summary of the counties listed, where the Watch on the Storm Prediction Center’s website will go into greater detail with a synopsis of the situation and the geographic area given as, for example “the tornado watch is along and 65 statute miles east and west of a line from 45 miles southwest of Meridian MS to 30 miles northeast of Huntsville AL” and an aviation notice “Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 3 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 450. Mean storm motion vector 27035.” Which lets you know some storms will reach 45,000 feet and that they are moving from the southwest at 35 kts.

For me, the expanded version is more useful or at least more interesting than the summarized version, and is what I used to put out on the air. But, I’m a weatherholic. Some liked my approach, and many complimented me on it, a few didn’t and made sure that any listening ear would hear of the pain, grief and suffering I caused them. But, that’s how life goes.

Not everyone in the Watch will see severe weather or tornadoes, but they are possible over a multi-hour period. You need to be prepared for threatening weather and thinking of what actions to take, if you are in a tornado watch.

Tornado Warnings are issued by the NWS Office, which covers a multi county County Warning Area.

Central Alabama is Covered by the NWS Office in Birmingham/Calera, NWS Huntsville covers Cullman northward into southern Tennessee. NWS Mobile covers southeastern Mississippi, southwestern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle. NWS Tallahassee covers southeastern Alabama, the eastern Florida Panhandle and Southwestern Georgia.

NWS Atlanta/Peachtree City is the backup Office for the Birmingham Office and vice versa. If Birmingham’s Office we’re disabled or the forecasters must take cover because a tornado is threatening the Office, Atlanta will take over issuing warnings and advisories for Birmingham’s CWA. If the Atlanta/Peachtree City Office is out, Birmingham takes over and handles Atlanta’s CWA.

Many years ago, it was said that Little Rock was the backup office in case both the Birmingham and Atlanta Offices were out of commission, though that may have changed over the years. The thinking, as was explained, was that if there were such a widespread disaster that both offices were knocked out, an office out of the affected area would be used.

Keeping in mind that the NOAA Weather Radio system figures in not just with severe weather scenarios, but civil emergencies and national emergencies aka nuclear attack.

A Tornado Warning means a tornado has been spotted or indicated by radar. Warnings are for a much shorter duration, usually less than an hour and cover a much smaller, specific area, or polygon.

As James Spann says, “RESPECT THE POLYGON!”

The polygon based warnings are a great improvement over the older method, as if the tornado is for Leeds, there is no reason to be taking cover if you are in Bessemer.

If you are within the polygon you need to act immediately to protect yourself and your family. Find refuge in a sturdy structure, away from windows and in the center of the lowest floor or most protected part of the structure. Such as a basement or closet or interior hallway. The center of wide span roof, like a large store, is NOT a safe place. That’s where we were urged to go when I worked at Sears. The weakest part of the building, which was also the cutlery section. Not really the best idea.

Nor is it a good idea to go out on the back deck hoping to YouTube the storm, and at the last second having to flee tumbling trailers bouncing by. Don’t be like me.

After the NWS issues a Tornado Warning, they will issue position updates. My policy was to pass these updates along, as it would help spotters know where to look, as opposed to going by old information. Naturally some souls would complain that I was “giving the same bulletin over and over and over”, which I was not. I was giving the updated position reports, so one could “look where it is, not where it ain’t.” But, again, I’m a weatherholic. Some liked my approach, and many complimented me on it, a few didn’t, and suggested that tar and feathers might be an appropriate remedy.

Looking back now, it’s funny. It became a regular pattern. Sunday we would have a tornado warning, and I would issue the information as described above. Monday at work I would hear myself being shredded on the air for “repeating everything Jame Spann said”, which was incorrect, as I was passing information directly from the NWS. Tuesday the same souls that were wanting to tan my hide Monday for “broadcasting media reports” would be coming on the air with traffic reports ala CB Channel 19, “anyone on 65 Northbound better take another route, Pam Huff says there’s a bad wreck at Oxmoor Road.” Which of course was passing a “media report”.

I finally decided it just wasn’t worth the grief and quit bothering with it, and concentrated on ALERT instead and then lo and behold, all of my critics ended up “friending me up” on Facebook, and liking all the weather trash I posted. We got along fine. Sadly, they are all Silent Key now. And, I miss them.
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The rarest of the Tornado Warnings is the Tornado Emergency, which is only used if there is a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage is likely. Those are only issued when the National Weather Service believes an extremely dangerous or violent tornado is on the ground causing extensive damage.

The SPC issues Severe Thunderstorm Watches, in a similar format to Tornado Watches. They are issued when thunderstorms capable of producing large hail, damaging winds and brief tornadoes are possible in and near the Watch area.

The local NWS Office issues Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, in a similar format to Tornado Warnings. Severe Thunderstorm criteria for the Birmingham Office are winds of 58 mph or greater, hail 1″ in diameter or larger or a tornado.

Lightning productivity is not a factor in the warning process, all thunderstorms produce lightning. However, lightning can be a valuable clue as to what a thunderstorm is doing. A storm suddenly producing continuous intense lightning, like light from a bad fluorescent bulb, can indicate that a storm is intensifying. Green lightning on the horizon indicates that the power grid is being damaged by high winds. If it is isolated to a particular location and is moving along the horizon, this indicates that there is a concentrated wind circulation on the ground which is moving. It is a possible tornado sign.

Other Warnings the local NWS Offices issue are Flood Warnings, Flash Flood Warnings, Winter Storm Watches, Frost Warnings, Freeze Warnings and other items advisories you should really pay attention to.

What is my favorite NWS product?

Probably the Area Forecast Discussion

National Weather Service

But, just in case you missed it, I’m a weatherholic…

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Mark’s Almanac

With the arrival of November, we enter our second tornado season. Alabama and the Southeast are “blessed” by being the only area on Earth having two tornado seasons. The cause of the second season is the same as the spring season – clashes of cold and warm air masses. The cold air of winter is invading and trying to push the warmth of the summer back into the sea, which is the same process of springtime.

This second season is often more destructive than the spring season. From 1950 to 2022 there have been 279 November tornadoes in Alabama resulting in 52 fatalities and 1069 injuries. The third largest tornado outbreak occurred on November 24 – 25 2001 when 36 tornadoes occurred, and 21 tornadoes occurred during the outbreak of November 23 – 24 2004.

November was Alabama’s leading tornado month from 2001 to 2011 until the dual outbreaks of April 15 and April 27, 2011, erased that record.

November is still the third most active month for tornadoes over a 70+ year period.

Some suggest that there are not two seasons, but rather, one long season that stretches from November through May, as December through February are certainly not tornado free.

From 1950 to 2020 Alabama has seen:

November 279 Tornadoes
December 154 Tornadoes
January 149 Tornadoes
February 171 Tornadoes
March 328 Tornadoes
April 553 Tornadoes
May 238 Tornadoes
June 79 Tornadoes
July 72 Tornadoes
August 78 Tornadoes
September 108 Tornadoes
October 112 Tornadoes

Total 2321 Tornadoes

So beware of a warm & muggy November day. Especially one with a south wind, as something may really be “in the air”.

The Hurricane threat greatly diminishes, with hurricane activity occurring mainly in the open Atlantic, threatening the Eastern Seaboard, but usually veering off into sea as cold fronts off the East Coast deflect them. Hurricanes can still form in the Caribbean, which usually visit the Yucatan, but can enter the Gulf.

From 1851 – 2023 there have been 101 Tropical Storms and 50 hurricanes, 6 of which made landfall in the United States.

Some notable November hurricanes are:

The 1932 Cuba hurricane, known also as the Hurricane of Santa Cruz del Sur or the 1932 Camagüey Hurricane. Although forming as a tropical depression on October 30, it became the only Category 5 Atlantic hurricane ever recorded in November, and was the deadliest and one of the most intense tropical cyclones in Cuban history. On November 6, the tropical cyclone reached its peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph. The storm weakened to Category 4 intensity as it came ashore in Cuba’s Camagüey Province on November 9 with winds of 150 mph. The storm took 3,033 lives.

Hurricane Ida, in 2009, was the strongest land falling tropical cyclone during the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season. Ida formed on November 4 in the southwestern Caribbean, and within 24 hours struck the Nicaragua coast with winds of 80 mph. It weakened significantly over land, although it restrengthened in the Yucatán Channel to peak winds of 105 mph. Ida weakened and became an extratropical cyclone in the northern Gulf of Mexico before spreading across the southeastern United States. The remnants of Ida contributed to the formation of a nor’easter that significantly affected the eastern coast of the United States.

1985’s Hurricane Kate was the latest Hurricane in any calendar year to strike the United States.
Kate formed on November 15 and reached hurricane intensity on November 16, and reached Category 2 intensity three days later. Kate struck the northern coast of Cuba on November 19. Once clear of land, she strengthened quickly, becoming a Category 3 storm and reached its peak intensity of 120 mph. On November 21 Kate came ashore near Mexico Beach, Florida, as Category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph.

Hurricane Lenny, or Wrong Way Lenny, occurred in 1999. It is the second-strongest November Atlantic hurricane on record, behind the 1932 Cuba hurricane. Lenny formed on November 13 in the western Caribbean Sea and moved retrograde from the West to East passing South of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. He reached hurricane status south of Jamaica on November 15 and rapidly intensified over the northeastern Caribbean on November 17, attaining peak winds of 155 mph near Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. It gradually weakened while moving through the Leeward Islands, eventually dissipating on November 23 over the open Atlantic Ocean.

1994’s Hurricane Gordon claimed 1122 lives in Haiti when it passed just west of the country as a tropical storm on November 13, 1994.

Figure 2 – November Tropical Cyclone Breeding Grounds

Both the Atlantic and Pacific Hurricane seasons ends November 30.

Days rapidly grow shorter as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon steadily decreases from 40.9 degrees at the beginning of the month to 34.8 degrees at the month’s end. Daylight decreases from 10 hours 40 minutes on November 1 to 10 hours 07 minutes on November 30.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

November 1 Sunrise 7:06 AM Sunset 5:55 PM
November 15 Sunrise 6:19 AM Sunset 4:45 PM – After Daylight Savings Time Ends
November 31 Sunrise 6:33 AM Sunset 4:39 PM

The blooms of summer have faded, but you may find yourself still sneezing, due to ragweed and mold.

Mold is a fall allergy trigger. You may think of mold growing in your basement or bathroom – damp areas in the house – but mold spores also love wet spots outside. Piles of damp leaves are ideal breeding grounds for mold.

Oh, and did I mention dust mites? While they are common during the humid summer months, they can get stirred into the air the first time you turn on your heat in the fall. Dust mites can trigger sneezes, wheezes, and runny noses.

November welcomes the peak of fall colors. For Birmingham the peak occurs around November 15, but the date can vary depending on your elevation & latitude.

Indian Summer and Squaw Winter continue to battle it out, but the cool or cold weather will eventually win, with the first average frost being on November 11.

The usual fall effects occur in North America with Canada’s Hudson Bay becoming unnavigable due to pack ice & icebergs. Navigation in the Great Lakes becomes perilous due to storms bringing the “Gales Of November” made famous in the Gordon Lightfoot song “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald”.

And don’t be surprised if you hear ducks overhead & see wedges of Canadian geese heading south for the winter. And if you see strange birds appearing in your front yard, remember that for 336 species of birds Alabama IS south for the winter.

Looking skyward, at the beginning of the month, the Sun, magnitude -26.8 is in Virgo, The Virgin.

Mercury, magnitude -0.4, in Libra, The Scales, is lost in the glow of the Sun at the beginning of the month.

He will reach his highest separation from the Sun on November 16 and his highest altitude in the evening sky on November 19, at a very low 22° above the horizon at sunset, and will then retreat into the glow of the Sun.

Venus, magnitude –4.0, Ophiuchus , The Serpent Bearer,

At the first of the month, she will become visible at around 6:10 PM CDT, 16° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 2 minutes after the Sun at 7:56 PM CDT.

Remembering that time changes back to Standard Time on November the 3rd, she becomes visible an hour earlier after the 3rd and by the 15th will become around 5:00 PM CST, 19° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hour and 28 minutes after the Sun at 7:11 PM CST.

At month’s end she will become visible at around 4:55 PM CST, 24° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 57 minutes after the Sun at 7:35 PM CST.

Earth and her Moon, magnitude -4.0, as viewed from the Sun, is in Taurus, The Bull.

Mars, with his moons Phobos and Deimos, magnitude +0.4, in Gemini, The Twins, is an early morning object.

At the first of the month, will become accessible around 11:57 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 9° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 6:06 AM CDT, 78° above the southern horizon. He will fade into the dawn twilight around 6:37 AM CDT, 76° above the south-western horizon.

At midmonth he becomes accessible around 10:20 PM CST, when he reaches an altitude of 9° above your eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 4:29 AM CST, 77° above the southern horizon. He will be lost in the dawn twilight around 5:51 AM CST, 68° above the south-western horizon.

At months end he will become accessible around 9:29 PM CST, when he reaches an altitude of 8° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 3:42 AM CST, 77° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 6:08 AM CST, 55° above the western horizon.

Dwarf Planet Ceres shines at magnitude +9.1 in Sagittarius, The Archer.

Jupiter, and his 95 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring, magnitude -2.6, is in Taurus, The Bull, dominates the evening and early morning sky.

.At the beginning of the month, Jupiter becomes accessible around 8:58 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 7° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 3:19 AM CDT, 78° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 6:48 AM CDT, 43° above the western horizon.

At mid-month he will become accessible around 6:58 PM CST, when he reaches an altitude of 7° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach its highest point in the sky at 1:19 AM CST, 78° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 6:00 AM CST, 27° above the western horizon.

By month’s end he will become accessible around 5:51 PM CST, when it reaches an altitude of 7° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 12:12 AM CST, 78° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 6:13 AM CST, 11° above the western horizon.

Saturn, magnitude +0.8, and his 146 moons and extensive debris ring system, is in Aquarius, The Water Bearer, as an early evening object.

At the beginning of the month, he becomes accessible around 6:26 PM CDT, 34° above the south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 8:58 PM CDT, 47° above the southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 1:39 AM CDT, when he sinks below 11° above the western horizon.

At midmonth he becomes accessible around 5:17 PM CST, 40° above the south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 7:02 PM CST, 47° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 11:42 PM CST, when he sinks below 11° above the western horizon.

Saturn will end his retrograde motion against the background stars on November 15.

This apparent reversal of direction against the night sky was caused by a phenomenon that all the outer planets periodically undergo, a few months before they reach opposition, or the point exactly opposite from the Sun.

This retrograde motion is caused by the Earth’s own motion around the Sun. As the Earth circles the Sun, our view or perspective changes, and this causes the apparent positions of objects to move from side to side in the sky during a one year period. This nodding motion is super imposed on the planet’s long-term eastward motion through the constellations, causing them to appear to be moving backwards in their orbits.

A terrestrial example would be passing a car on the highway. Both are moving forward, but the car you are passing looks as if it were going backwards as you look at it through the side window.

This motion was known to ancient observers, and it troubled them to no end, as they could not reconcile this motion with their models which had the planets moving in uniform circular orbits around the Earth, since they believed that the Earth was the center of the solar system.

Saturn entered retrograde motion on June 29, reached opposition on September 8 and ends the retrograde motion on November 15, 2024

At months end he becomes accessible around 5:13 PM CST, 45° above the southern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 6:04 PM CST, 47° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 10:44 PM CST, when he sinks below 11° above the western horizon.

Uranus, magnitude +5.6, and his 27 moons and ring, in Taurus, The Bull, is a morning object.

At the beginning of the month he will become accessible around 8:30 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 1:36 AM CDT, 75° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 6:03 AM CDT, 29° above the western horizon.

By midmonth he will become accessible at around 6:29 PM CST, when he rises to an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 11:34 PM CST, 75° above the southern horizon. He will become inaccessible around 4:40 AM CST when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

Uranus will be opposite the sky from the Sun, at “Opposition” at 8:36 PM CST PM CST on November 16.

At month’s end he becomes accessible around 5:41 PM CST, 23° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 10:33 PM CST, 75° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 3:38 AM CST, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

Neptune, magnitude 7.7, and his 14 moons and ring, in Pisces, The Fish, is an early evening object.

At the first of the month he becomes accessible via binoculars and telescopes around 6:54 PM CDT, 34° above the south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 9:51 PM CDT, 54° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 1:57 AM CDT, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

At midmonth he will become accessible around 5:45 PM CST, 42° above the south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 7:55 PM CST, 54° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 12:01 AM CST, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

At the end of the month, he becomes around 5:41 PM CST, 49° above the south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then reach he highest point in the sky at 6:56 PM CST, 54° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 11:01 PM CST, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

Dwarf Planet Pluto, with his five moons shines at a dim +14.5 in Capricornus, The Sea Goat.

Dwarf Planet 136108 Haumea, her ring and moons Hiʻiaka and Namaka, shines at a faint magnitude of +17.4 in Bootes the Herdsman

Dwarf Planet 136472 Makemake with his moon S/2015 (136472) 1, nicknamed MK1 by the discovery team, shines faintly at magnitude +17.2 in Coma Berenices.

Dwarf Planet 136199 Eris and her moon Dysnomia, originally referred to as Xena and Gabrielle, is barely visible in the most powerful telescopes at magnitude +18.6 in Cetus the Sea Monster.

At least six additional bodies with the preliminary criteria for identifying dwarf planets, and though not “officially” declared as such, are generally called dwarf planets by astronomers as well.

90482 Orcus, and his moon Vanth shines at magnitude 19.1 in Libra, The Scales.
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50000 Quaoar, and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Pisces, The Fish.

90377 Sedna, the coldest, and at one time, the most distant known place in the Solar System, glows faintly at magnitude +20.8 in Taurus, The Bull.

225088 Gonggong, originally nicknamed Snow White by the discovery team, and his moon Xiangli glows dimly at +21.5 magnitude in Pisces, The Fish.

Recent observations by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft have determined that this world is the third largest Dwarf Planet, at 955 miles in diameter, following Pluto, at 1,475 miles and 136199 Eris at 1,445 miles in diameter.

2014 UZ224 nicknamed “DeeDee” for “Distant Dwarf” is 8.5 billion miles from the Sun, at magnitude +23.0 in Eridanus, The River.

120347 Salacia, and her moon Actaea glows at magnitude 20.7 in Auriga, The Charioteer. Salacia is considered a “borderline” Dwarf Planet. Some astronomers saying she “most certainly is a Dwarf Planet”, while others disagreeing based on her size, saying she is too small to have compressed into a fully solid body, to have been resurfaced, or to have collapsed into “hydrostatic equilibrium”, that is to assume spherical shape like a planet.

This dark world lies beyond the orbit of Neptune, orbiting 4,164,420,166 miles from the Sun.

Currently the most distant observable known object in the Solar System, an asteroid unofficially called Asteroid 2018 AG37, and nicknamed FarFarOut, glows at a barely detectable +25.5 magnitude in Lynx.

FarFarOut is currently 12,312,157,003 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 21 minutes and 34 seconds from Earth.

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 47 years, 1 month and 19 days is 15,399,909,273 miles, or in Light Time, 22 hours, 57 minutes 49 Seconds from Earth as of 2:05 PM, October 24, 2024, sailing 38,027 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.
Voyager – Mission Status (nasa.gov) & Voyager 1 | TheSkyLive

There are 1,414,967 known asteroids and 3,974 comets as of October 24, 2024, 2024 per NASA/JPL Solar Dynamics Website JPL Solar System Dynamics (nasa.gov).

One asteroid of note that you will be hearing more and more about, especially by the doomsdayers on social media, is Asteroid 99942 Apophis.

99942 Apophis is a Near Earth Object estimated to be about 1,100 feet across.

Discovered July 19, 2004, Apophis was identified as one of the most hazardous asteroids that could impact Earth, as it passes the Earth on Friday the 13th, April 2029. As the orbit of the object was better understood, the possibility of impact disappeared, though concern remained about a possible impact on Easter Sunday, April the 13th, 2036.

Radar assessment in March 2021, combined with precise orbit analysis have allowed astronomers to conclude that there is no risk of impact for at least a century.

But, as I say, you will hear otherwise on social media, so be prepared for the nutcases.

99942 Apophis is expected to pass within 19,794 miles of the Earth on April 13, 2029. This is within the altitude of the Clarke Belt of geosynchronous satellites at 22,236 miles. But, what angle it will approach, I don’t know. It could be at such an oblique angle that it wouldn’t affect the satellite constellations orbits.

99942 Apophis, magnitude 21.3, is in Virgo, The Virgin, 1,861,028,558 miles or 1631 days from the Earth as of 1:55 PM, October 24, 2024.

5,780 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of October 15, 2024, per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/.

New Moon will occur at 7:49 AM CDT or 12:49 UTC on November 1. The Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

This New Moon occurs near Apogee, or the Moon’s farthest point from the Earth, so this will be a Micromoon. A Micromoon is the opposite of a Supermoon. Where a Supermoon appears slightly larger than normal, a Micromoon appears smaller.

Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 AM November 3. Make sure to replace your smoke alarm batteries and if you have a battery backup on your NOAA Weather radio, replace those batteries also.

The Southern Taurids Meteor Shower will occur November 4 & 5. The Taurid Meteor shower is an unusual shower in that it consists of two streams – the Southern and Northern Taurids. The first, the Southern Taurids, is produced by dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10.

This is a minor shower, producing only 5 to 10 meteors per hour.

The near First Quarter Moon will wash out the dimmer meteors, but it is still worth the effort to see, The meteors will appear to originate from the Constellation Taurus, but could appear anywhere in the sky.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur November 8 at 11:56 PM CST or 4:56 UTC November 9.

During a Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The Northern Taurid Meteor Shower, the second of the two Taurid streams, will occur November 11 & 12. The Northern Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour. This shower is, however, famous for producing a higher than normal percentage of bright fireballs. The second stream is produced by debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke.

The shower runs annually from September 7 to December 10. It peaks this year on the night of the 11th and morning of the 12th. A near Full Moon will wash out all but the brightest meteors with this shower.

Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus but can appear anywhere in the sky.

The Moon will be at Perigee or her closest approach to Earth on November 15, when she will be 223,762 miles from Earth.

Full Moon will occur November 15. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 3:30 PM CST or 21:30 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Beaver Moon because this was the time of year to set the beaver traps before the swamps and rivers froze. It has also been known as the Frosty Moon and the Dark Moon.

This is the last of four Supermoons for 2024. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

During a Full Moon, the Moon’s magnitude is -12.7.

The annual Leonid meteor shower occurs from November 6 – 30 and peaks on the night of November 17 & the morning of the 18th. Though the Leonids are an “average shower”, producing only an average of 15 meteors per hour, they are well known for producing bright meteors and fireballs.

This shower is also unique in that it has a cyclonic peak about every 33 years where hundreds of meteors per hour can be seen. That last of these occurred in 2001 and the next should occur in 2034. The Leonids are produced by dust grains left behind by Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1865.

Its productivity varies per year, but it can deposit 12 to 13 tons of particles across the planet. Which is why having an atmosphere to shield us is such a nifty thing.

The nearly Full Moon will block all but the brightest meteors this year. If you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur November 22 at 7:29 PM CST or 19:29 UTC.

During a Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The Moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on November 26, when she will be 251,851 miles from Earth.

During October, Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was seen worldwide. As it fades into history, attention turned to Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), formerly known as A11bP7I.

This comet had the potential to be as bright, if not brighter than Venus when it reached perihelion, on October 28 and hopes ran high.

Unfortunately, satellite imagery indicates that when the comet got within 341,754 miles from the Sun, it melted into nothing.

disappear.gif (1024×1024)

It’s sad, as I was really looking forward to it, but that just the way the comet crumbles…

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This month’s meeting will be on November 12 at 7 PM at the NWS Forecast Office in Calera.

Hope to see you there!

Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter