Observational Post 11/11 - 11/16

I have noticed some pretty interesting things lately in my time outside at night. I was able to see a couple of meteors that fall through the sky and burn up for a couple of seconds. These "shooting stars" are normally next to impossible to predict for the average Joe like myself but I find that the more time I spend outside, the better the chance I get of seeing something really cool. I, of course, have been able to spot most of our current constellations but have noticed something peculiar... I have noticed that I am able to spot things like planets and specific stars much easier even without technological help. I guess all of this time outside has actually taught me how to do things off the book. I have also noticed that, as we approach the winter and cooler months, that a lot of the stars are particularly bright and are actually twinkling more from the atmospheric disruptions. All in all, a pretty good week for stargazing.