The Sky This Month
Welcome to our night-time sky.
Please enjoy this monthʼs tidbits of
knowledge. We are lucky to live in a
dark-sky area where the heavens can
shine through. I hope you enjoy the
sky and perhaps learn a thing or two.
Happy star gazing!
Watch Out for Werewolves
The full Moon this month occurs
on November 14, but this is not your run-of-the-mill full
moon. This one is special. The Moon does not travel in
an exact circle around the Earth. The Moon follows an
elliptical path. If the Earth and Moon were the only objects
in the solar system, the Moonʼs path would be circular since
the Earthʼs gravitation would be the only force acting on the
Moon. However, the Sun and the remaining planets place
an additional gravitational effect on the Moon, which causes
the Moonʼs orbit to stretch into an oval. At the farthest
point in its orbit (the apogee), the Moon is roughly 252
thousand miles away from the Earth. On November 14th,
however, the Moon will be at its closest point (the perigee),
which is about 221 thousand miles away, or 12% closer to
the Earth as compared to the farthest point. This Moon is
known as a Super Moon, because it is the largest that it will
appear during the Moonʼs orbit. The Moon will not again
be this close to the Earth until 2034.
For added affect, watch the Moon rise
over the mountains around 6:30 PM. An optical illusion
occurs with objects viewed from a distance across terrain.
The objects appear larger in our minds. So, happy Moon
gazing… but keep away from the werewolves.
Can You Count?
Nancy and I recently lit a fire in our fire pit and gazed
at the blanket of stars. We enjoyed a spectacular view
of the Milky Way. As I was scanning the stars with my
binoculars, I happened upon the Pleiades. The Pleiades
signifies two things. First, that winter is around the corner.
Second, that you might need new glasses. Take a look at
the Pleiades. How many stars do you see? If you have
terrible vision, maybe you can see one giant blur. With
better vision you might see five, six, or seven stars. There
are about 11 major stars that make up the cluster. In total,
there are over 1,000 stars confirmed to be within the cluster,
but you would need REALLY good vision to see them all!
To find the Pleiades, look to the West after the Sun goes
down. The cluster of stars looks like a mini dipper. As the
night moves along and as the days go by, the Pleiades will
rise higher and higher in the sky.
The Real Estate Market
Remains Strong
Prices have risen 68% since the bottom of the market in
the fall of 2011. Overall, the volume of home sales remains
strong. The chart below shows the average sales price of
site-built homes for the Prescott area since 2010, along
with a moving 10-month average.
—Brian Biggs, Amateur Astronomer
PRESCOTT
Home Realty
Nancy & Brian Biggs
928-273-7113
[email protected]
www.BiggsRealtors.com
6
November 2016 pccnews