When I first hear the reminder to ‘fall back’, my thoughts spring to the extra hour of sleep, that was ‘lost’ back in March, that we get back on Halloween night, as November begins and Daylight-Saving Time ends. Come Sunday evening, as the sun sets just after five, and likely even worse Monday evening, that hour will be long forgotten as the sudden, early darkness of November becomes our new, daily reality.
Moving the hour of light back to the morning does at least end the shock of getting up in the pre-sunrise dark. That early light, often filtered through the fog of cool, late fall mornings, enhances the rich colors as we head into peak leaf season here in the Piedmont. Catch the views early, if your schedule has you home in the early evening darkness.
The next three months are the season of darkness in the Northern Hemisphere, as we actually get closest but tilt farthest from the sun. That literal darkness seems destined to be joined this year by the figurative darkness of the seemingly ever surging viral pandemic and elections that may or may not be decided in a timely fashion.
In any year but 2020, the combination of the season’s second winter storm, Billy, with the 27th tropical system, Zeta, might be big news but so many records have been exploded this year that a snow storm and hurricane meshing into one fits perfectly into our new normal world.
In the western US, they hope that early snow will help extinguish their wild fires. Along the Gulf coast, they hope that November 30th actually is the end of hurricane season. Earth’s ongoing warming ways will likely have the final say in how those hopes work out. I hope you can take advantage of our, so far, mild fall and get out to enjoy the every changing palette of this lovely season.
With October squeezing in two full moons, that rare “blue” moon on Halloween, November has to wait until month’s end for even one Full moon. That will be the Hunter’s Moon and will graze Earth’s shadow in the wee hours on the 30th. Better eclipses lie ahead in 2021.
The evening planet display continues into November with still bright Mars dimming slightly. In the southwest, Saturn and Jupiter still shine, drawing nearer ahead of their winter solstice very close encounter. Venus still dominates the pre-dawn sky but is joined by much dimmer Mercury for all of November.
The sun moves into Libra on the 1st, out on the 22nd when it makes a quick visit into Scorpio. The reliable Leonid meteor shower peaks overnight on the 17th.
There is some light shining through the darkness of 2020, something to be thankful for, amidst the death and destruction this year. Americans are practicing democracy at a level long unseen. Early voting numbers are also exploding records nationwide as folks get out to make their voices heard; good news indeed.
Our experiment in democracy, if it is to continue, requires participation from us all. Even in this difficult year, we have much to be thankful for, let us not forget that in this month of Thanksgiving. Let’s work to stay united and to keep each other safe and healthy as we gather to celebrate and give thanks for all the good we share.
Randy Holladay
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