Earth’s recently adopted mini-Moon is about to leave us during the coming week.

The small asteroid '2024 PT-5' was temporarily captured by the Earth’s gravitational field in late September but over the coming days is set to leave us. Measuring 10 metres across, the asteroid will have completed an entire loop around Earth before departing.

The sun continues to be very active with several alerts over the previous seven days in regards to potential aurora views across the region. 

After some of the most dramatic displays witnessed in recent times, the heightened activity during 2024 because the sun is at its 'Solar Maximum', which occurs every 11 years when the star generates an increased number of sunspots. These can lead to solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections, (CME’s), which when in contact with the Earth, spark off the northern lights.

This weekend has November’s full Moon, or Beaver Moon, marking the last ‘supermoon’ of 2024.  At a distance of 224,853 miles, this final ‘supermoon’ of the year will make for an interesting spectacle, appearing slightly larger and brighter, especially when just above the horizon.

This Sunday night and into Monday sees the maximum of the annual Leonids meteor shower. The shower has previously been a show-stopper with hundreds of ‘shooting stars’ per hour.

The next time Comet Tempel-Tuttle returns is 2032/33, so in the meantime, we can expect around 15 meteors per hour, so in the early hours of Sunday November 17 and on Monday November 18, look high in the east. Strong moonlight will drown out quite a number of the Leonids but a proportion can still be seen. 

In the evening sky this week watch for Venus, positioned low down on the western horizon but gradually climbing higher as we head toward December. 

On Sunday November 17, the moon will appear to the left of Jupiter with the bright star Aldebaran to the right. Mars can be seen this week during the evening of Wednesday, November 20.

ISS Sightings from Newport: On Saturday at 6.18pm and Sunday at 5.31pm. Watch for a slow moving point of light just above the southwest horizon and setting in the southeast.