November Has 6 Major Night Sky Events Including the Brightest Supermoon of the Year, Shooting Stars, and Vivid Auroras

From the beginning of northern lights season to a handful of comets, autumn has been excellent for North American stargazers. The fun will continue into November, with Comet Lemmon continuing to shine after sunset early in the month. Keep an eye on the aurora this November, too. The lights are expected to be exceptionally vivid this fall into winter; visit these aurora getaways to spot them.

This is all on top of myriad other interstellar marvels on the horizon, including multiple meteor showers and an overly bright moon. Here’s what to watch for.

Nov. 1: Moon Nears Saturn and Neptune

The moon and Saturn will tango together through the night sky Nov. 1-2, with Neptune (visible by telescope) hanging out alongside them. You can spot the two just above the eastern horizon at sunset. They’ll travel southward as the night goes on, staying relatively close to the horizon.

Nov. 4-5: Southern Taurid Meteor Shower Peaks

The southern Taurid meteor shower peaks overnight Nov. 4 to 5, with the prime watch time hitting around midnight, according to stargazing app SkySafari. Unfortunately, this year’s shower also coincides with a bright full moon, so all but the brightest meteors will be obstructed. You can increase your odds by watching for the shower’s signature fireballs from a dark-sky destination, such as a national park.

Nov. 5: Full Supermoon

See the biggest and brightest moon of the year—the full supermoon—on the evening of Nov. 5. The moon will officially reach its fullest state at 8:19 a.m. ET, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. That said, the most dramatic time to view it is around moonrise, when it looks exceptionally bold near the horizon. The full moon usually rises right around sunset, but use the Almanac’s moonrise calculator to confirm the timing for your area.

Nov. 9: Moon Meets Jupiter

Watch as the waning gibbous moon and Jupiter meet in the eastern sky the night of Nov. 9. The pair will soar above the horizon around 10 p.m. local time, and they’ll climb higher in the southern sky as the night continues. Look near the pair to see two bright stars: Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars in the Gemini constellation.

Nov. 16-17: Leonid Meteor Shower

The Leonids, which originate from comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, are known to put on a great show — especially when the moon cooperates. This year, the 9-percent-illuminated waning crescent moon won’t rise until the morning. That means the Leonids can dazzle from Nov. 16 to Nov. 17 with upwards of 15 meteors per hour, according to EarthSky.org. You can watch for the shooting stars, and potentially brighter-than-usual meteors, known as fireballs, all across the night sky. You may be able to see the shooting stars the following night, too.

Nov. 24-25: Venus and Mercury Pair Up in the Morning

Watch the eastern horizon for roughly an hour before sunrise on Nov. 24 and Nov. 25 to see Venus and Mercury appear approximately a thumb’s width from each other, according to SkySafari. You’ll need clear views eastward to see the pair, as they won’t travel far above the horizon before the sun rises. A lake or a sunrise-view hill or mountaintop would be ideal.