November's new moon makes a close pass to Venus

The new moon occurs on Nov. 1 , at 8:47 a.m. Eastern Time ( 1247 GMT ) Three days later the moon will make a close pass to Mercury in the evening sky.

A new moon happens when the moon is between the sun and Earth ; technically it is at the same celestial longitude as the sun.

On the night of the new moon , Saturn is the second visible planet to appear; it will be in the southeast.

Saturn 's rings can be seen even in a modest telescope or with heavier-duty binoculars.

November is when the winter constellations of the Northern Hemisphere become more prominent in the late evening hours .

By 9:00 p.m. in mid-northern latitudes in the northeast one can see Capella , the brightest star in Auriga the Charioteer , getting higher each day .

Orion, Taurus and Gemini , to name three , are visible most of the night.

Looking southeast, close to the horizon, only about 12 degrees high, is Canopus , in the constellation Carina , the Ship's Keel.

Turning further south (to the left) one will see Rigil Kentaurus , also known as Alpha Centauri , about 17 degrees above the horizon.

Going still higher, to an altitude of 83 degrees , one encounters Fomalhaut , the alpha star of the Southern Fish, which will be to the right of Saturn .