See 3 Meteor Showers, Multiple Planets, and the Last Supermoon of the Year This Month

Daylight savings time means an extra hour of evening stargazing, and November’s night-sky lineup has a host of ways to enjoy it.

Watch for not one but three meteor showers, plus the year’s last supermoon, and a host of top-notch planet sightings. And, as last month’s eye-popping aurora display proved, the northern lights could dance at any moment — especially now that the 11-year peak of activity, known as solar maximum, is upon us. November is also a great month to look for easy-to-spot Pleiades, a sparkly cluster of over 1,000 stars in the Taurus constellation.

Here are several top November night-sky sights to watch for.

Nov. 4: Crescent Moon Nears Venus

The slim crescent moon and bright Venus will hover within five degrees (three finger widths) of each other the evening of Nov. 4, just after sunset. To catch them, find a lookout spot with clear views to the southwest horizon. Even better, snag a perch with 360 degrees of unobstructed panoramas, such as a hilltop, because Jupiter, Uranus, and Saturn will be up in the evening sky tonight as well.

Nov. 4-5: Southern Taurid Meteor Shower Peak

The Southern Taurids, which run from Sept. 23 to Dec. 8, peak overnight from Nov. 4-5, according to the American Meteor Society. While November has three well-known meteor showers, the Southern Taurids offer the best shooting-star odds since they coincide with an 11 percent illuminated moon. This is a fireball-rich shower, so keep your eyes peeled for bright and colorful meteors — and don’t forget to report your fireball sightings to the AMS. This is a milder shower, visible near the Taurus constellation, with up to 10 meteors per hour possible from a dark-sky location. Geographically, you can spot the Southern Taurids virtually everywhere in the world but the South Pole.

Nov. 11-12: Northern Taurid Meteor Shower Peak

The Northern and Southern Taurid meteor showers coincide this month, with the former running from Oct. 20 through Dec. 10 and peaking from Nov. 11-12. This event could generate up to five meteors per hour under a dark sky (for that, try a national park), but there is one hiccup: a bright, 79 percent full moon will wash out all but the most luminous shooting stars and fireballs. For the best sightings, the UK’s National Space Centre suggests heading out around 2:30 to 3 a.m. local time and gazing toward Taurus in the western sky.

Nov. 15: Full Beaver Supermoon

November closes out the year’s string of four bright and full supermoons — the next won’t hit our night skies until October 2025. That means this month’s full beaver supermoon shouldn’t be missed. It’s named for the time of year when beavers begin to shelter, according to The Farmer’s Almanac. It will rise above the northeast horizon right around sunset.

Nov. 16: Mercury Reaches Greatest Elongation

Spy elusive Mercury, which the sun typically washes out, when the planet reaches its greatest elongation on Nov. 16. Mercury’s greatest elongation — when a planet is at its apparent furthest distance from the sun — officially occurs in the pre-dawn hours of Nov. 16. That said, you can admire the swift planet in the western sky after sunset on Nov. 16, but don’t wait around; Mercury sinks beneath the horizon soon after the sun. To see it, find a west-facing view with minimal horizon obstructions. Don’t miss bright Venus just above it.

Nov. 17-18: Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks

During peak and with perfect conditions, the Leonids produce up to 10 to 15 meteors per hour, according to Earth Sky. Sadly this year’s Nov. 17-18 crescendo of shooting-star activity occurs just days after the full moon. That means most of the meteors will get washed out, particularly with the moon being up nearly all night. That said, if you find yourself in a dark-sky location, it’s always worth peeking up toward the Leo constellation when it rises in the east-southeast sky after midnight.

Nov. 20-21: Moon and Mars Conjunction

Watch the waning gibbous moon and orange-tinged Mars travel through the sky from roughly 9 p.m. on Nov. 20 into the morning of Nov. 21. The pair will appear within roughly two degrees (around two pinky fingers) of each other, according to In-the-Sky.org. They’ll climb heavenward from the northeast horizon into the southern sky overnight.