Lunar eclipse
A total lunar eclipse will be visible in Hawaii from the late evening of Nov. 7 to the early morning of Nov. 8.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through Earth’s shadow. As this happens, the moon becomes darker and eventually takes on a deep reddish color.
The eclipse will begin at 10 p.m. Nov. 7 when the moon enters the penumbra, the outer portion of Earth’s shadow, and becomes a darker gray.
An hour later, at 11:09, a dark reddish shadow will start to slowly creep across the surface of the moon as it enters the main portion of Earth’s shadow — the umbra.
At 12:16 a.m. Nov. 8, the moon will fully be in Earth’s umbra, and the total eclipse will begin. The moon will be in the umbra until 1:41 a.m., with the maximum eclipse officially occurring at 1 a.m.
The moon will then begin to leave the umbra, and the red color will begin to fade away. The moon will fully exit the umbra at 2:49 a.m. but will remain in the penumbra until about 4 a.m.
During lunar eclipses the moon’s red color is a result of light being refracted from Earth’s atmosphere before hitting the moon’s surface. This tinge leads many to call lunar eclipses the rather dramatic name “blood moon.”
Lunar eclipses take place only during a full moon. According to the Hawaiian lunar calendar, know as the kaulana mahina, this particular lunar eclipse will rise in the region of Akua at 99% illumination and set in the region of Hoku at 100% illumination.
Meteor shower
Through mid- to late November, the spectacular Leonids meteor shower will scatter our sky with shooting stars. These meteors come from the tail of the comet Tempel-Tuttle, a periodic comet that last swept through Earth’s orbit in 1998. The peak of the shower will occur Nov. 17 when observers should see at least 10-15 meteors each hour.
Makali‘i
As we approach the middle of November, the star cluster of Makali‘i will rise in the quadrant of Ko‘olau at the same time that the sun sets. This is an important celestial indicator to begin the season of Makahiki.
While this alignment is the major indicator of the start of the Makahiki season, a time of celebration and peace in traditional Hawaiian culture, there are many other indicators that Makahiki is beginning depending on who you ask. Other Makahiki markers include the arrival of the migratory kolea (golden plovers) and the first Hilo moon phase following the alignment of Makali‘i and the setting sun.
Starting Nov. 11, you will begin to see Makali‘i, a sparkly little cluster of stars visible on the eastern horizon, at about the same time as sunset; every night thereafter you can observe it higher and higher in the east at the time of sunset.
Evening observations
Rising in the east will be Kalupeakawelo, also known as “the Kite of Kawelo,” which is one of the four great navigational starlines established by the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
At the center of this starline is the famous “Great Square of Pegasus,” which represents the body of a kite as it flies high overhead. North of the Great Square is the “W” shape of ‘Iwakeli‘i, the royal frigate bird, and the houselike shape of Kamo‘i. The starline also connects to some of the brightest stars in the southern fall sky.
Kalupeakawelo is set up as a 3D figure in the sky. To properly picture the kite, imagine that you are lying back and holding the strings that attach to ‘Iwakeli‘i and Kamo‘i with one hand, and holding the strings that attach to Nalani and Kaikilani with the other hand. The square body of the kite, marked by Manokalanipo, Kakuhihewa, Pi‘ilani and Keawe, is flying high above your head.
Hidden within Kalupeakawelo is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy. While the Andromeda Galaxy is visible to the naked eye, it can often be a bit difficult to observe. In order to view it, people should ensure that they have a clear dark night sky with little to no light pollution.
In the northwestern sky, first find ‘Iwakeli‘i and look about 15 degrees south of its “elbow,” where you will see a faint fuzzy blur in the night sky — this is the Andromeda Galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy contains approximately 1 trillion stars, many more than the estimated 250 billion stars within the Milky Way Galaxy.
Among the stars of the fall sky, the planets of Saturn and Jupiter will be easily visible high in the south. These two gaseous worlds are the largest planets in our solar system and are primarily made up of hydrogen and helium.
Through a telescope or a good pair of binoculars, observers will be able to see some of the moons of these enormous planets.
As the evening goes on, Mars will begin to rise in the eastern sky. Throughout November, Mars will form a triangle with the red giant stars of Aldebaran and Betelgeuse of Orion; these distinctively red objects will stand out in the later evening sky.
Morning observations
Throughout November the sun will rise between 6:35 and 6:50 a.m. with dusk beginning to color the sky around 6:15 p.m.
Early-morning stargazers will be seeing a very different view of the sky: In the west observers will be able to see the red triangle of Mars, Aldebaran and Betelgeuse.
Skywatch November 2022 by Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii is a center for informal science education at the University of Hawaii at Hilo showcasing astronomy and Hawaiian culture as parallel journeys of human exploration.
