This week’s sky highlights include the emerging interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS, visible in large amateur telescopes as a faint 11th- or 12th-magnitude object low in the eastern dawn sky. Its altitude improves from 10° on November 9 to 20° by November 16, with the waning Moon gradually posing less interference. Orion rises earlier each night, accompanied by bright Capella, Aldebaran, and later Sirius. Jupiter dominates the eastern evening sky, while Saturn shines high in the southeast with its nearly edge-on rings. Fomalhaut, the Pleiades, and Cygnus feature prominently. The Leonid meteor shower peaks November 16–17 under dark, moonless skies. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/observing-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-november-7-16/

The week begins mild, with mostly cloudy to partly sunny skies on Sunday and Monday, highs in the low- to mid-70s, and light winds. Clouds increase by Tuesday, and a pattern of showers develops starting Tuesday night, with rain chances ranging from 40% to 60% through the rest of the week. Highs gradually cool to the low 60s by Thursday and remain there through Saturday, while lows fall into the mid-40s to mid-50s. Winds stay generally light to moderate, shifting between south and southeast. Expect an unsettled, showery stretch from midweek into the weekend. https://www.kcra.com/weather

Travis Gienger, a farmer from Minnesota, set a new Guinness World Record with his 2,749-pound pumpkin, nicknamed "Michael Jordan," at the 50th annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off in Half Moon Bay, California. This massive gourd surpassed the previous record of 2,702 pounds grown by an Italian farmer in 2021. Gienger, who has now won the competition three times, invested roughly $15,000 in growing the pumpkin since planting it on April 10. His victory earned him a $30,000 prize, which he plans to use for cultivating future record-breaking pumpkins. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/2749-pound-pumpkin-breaks-world-record-at-california-weigh-off/1586340

Daylight saving time (DST) in the U.S. ends on Sunday, November 2, 2025, when clocks fall back one hour, leading to earlier sunrises and sunsets. Arizona (excluding the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii do not observe DST, remaining on standard time year-round. Although several states have proposed ending the biannual clock changes, and the Sunshine Protection Act has been introduced in Congress, no legislation has been enacted yet. DST in 2026 will begin on Sunday, March 8, and end on Sunday, November 1. Public opinion is divided on whether to adopt standard or daylight saving time permanently. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/daylight-saving-time-2025-when-do-clocks-fall-back/1814533

The upcoming week features a mix of clouds and sunshine with mild temperatures. Sunday and Monday will reach highs near 76–78°F with lows in the low to mid-50s, under mostly sunny skies with light and variable winds. From Tuesday through Thursday, highs gradually cool from 73°F to 68°F, with nights in the low to mid-50s. Midweek brings partly to mostly cloudy conditions, with brief periods of sun and slightly stronger south winds at 5–10 mph on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday and Saturday remain partly cloudy, with highs in the upper 60s and lows dipping to the upper 40s to low 50s. https://www.kcra.com/weather

This week’s sky highlights include the interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS, visible in mid-November for large amateur telescopes as an 11th–12th magnitude fuzz low in the east at dawn. Halloween features a waxing gibbous Moon near Saturn with Fomalhaut below. Early November brings conjunctions of Venus and Spica, the Great Square of Pegasus, and Algol’s brightness dips. A supermoon occurs on November 5, with the Moon passing near the Pleiades and Orion later in the week. Jupiter rises late in the evening in Gemini, Saturn’s rings are nearly edge-on, and Mercury, Mars, Uranus, and Neptune round out the planetary lineup. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/observing-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-october-30-november-9/

Shinigami are death spirits in Japanese folklore, similar to the Grim Reaper. They appeared in the 18th or 19th century. The name shinigami is a combination of "shi," meaning death, and "kami," meaning god or spirit.

In Japanese folklore, Shinigami are agents that help the cycle of life run smoothly. They politely invite people into death at the right time and escort their souls to the afterlife.

Many Shinigami have unknown appearances and work in pairs. They have inspired many legends, such as the tale of a man who learned that each life is measured on a candle. Once the flame burns out, the person dies.

Shinigami have appeared in modern Japanese anime and manga, including Death Note, Bleach, Naruto, and Soul Eater. https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/shinigami-grim-reaper-japanese-folklore-006072

The week ahead brings a mix of clouds and sun with mild temperatures. Sunday starts with showers and highs near 64°F, clearing to partly cloudy overnight at 54°F. Monday and Tuesday will be mostly sunny to partly cloudy, with highs of 70–73°F and lows around 52–53°F. Midweek, Wednesday and Thursday offer sunny to partly cloudy skies, highs in the low to mid-70s, and cool nights near 50–53°F. Friday begins mostly cloudy, clearing in the afternoon with a high of 71°F and a low of 51°F. The weekend rounds out mainly sunny with highs in the low 70s and clear nights. https://www.kcra.com/weather

This week’s sky highlights include Comets Lemmon and SWAN visible in binoculars during evening twilight, though both have likely passed peak brightness. SWAN drifts from Aquila to Aquarius around 7th magnitude, while Lemmon at 5th–6th magnitude moves across Serpens Caput. The crescent Moon passes near Antares, then through the Sagittarius Teapot, occulting Tau Sagittarii. First-quarter Moon appears in Capricornus, with Capella, Pleiades, and Aldebaran rising in the northeast. Halloween features a waxing gibbous Moon near Saturn, with Fomalhaut below. Venus dominates dawn skies; Jupiter and Saturn shine at night.

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/observing-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-october-24-november-2/

This week, skywatchers can enjoy two binocular comets: C/2025 A6 Lemmon (magnitude 5) and C/2025 R2 SWAN (magnitude 6), with SWAN high in the southwest and Lemmon lower in the northwest. Key events include multiple double-shadow transits on Jupiter, a Mercury-Mars conjunction in bright twilight, and the Orionid meteor shower peaking on October 21 under a dark, Moon-free sky. Saturn shines in the east-southeast after dusk, Jupiter dominates late-night skies, and Venus gleams in the dawn with a thin crescent Moon on October 19. Seasonal highlights include the Big Dipper low in the northwest and Arcturus as the "Ghost of Summer Suns." https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-october-17-26/