Autumn is marching right along, and so are the objects in the night sky. November is the final full month of fall, and with daylight saving time ending Nov. 1, the sun will set even earlier. That’ll give skygazers more time to see some cool sights without staying up horribly late or waking up unbearably early.
As CNET reports, this month of fall is arguably the most active for amateur astronomers, with things to see as early as Nov. 2 and as late as Nov. 30. While there aren’t any major celestial events, a series of smaller ones makes up for it.
When to See Each Planet in November
Every planet is visible during the month of November, though depending on the time and day, you’ll get a better or worse view of them. Mercury and Venus are the most difficult to see due to their proximity to the sun.
Mercury: Mercury was at its eastern elongation during October, so it starts November a bit too close to the Sun to see safely. It reaches western elongation on Nov. 20, when it’ll be easily visible just before sunrise for the rest of the month.
Venus: Venus starts the month just ahead of the Sun at sunrise, technically making it possible to see every morning in November. It gets further from the Sun as the month goes on, making it easier and safer to see toward the end of the month.
Mars: Mars is high in the sky all month. It rises out of the eastern horizon shortly after midnight at the start of November and rises earlier as the month progresses. Early morning is the best time to see it, or right around midnight toward the end of the month.
Jupiter: Jupiter and Mars are close pals for all of November, rising at roughly the same time and right next to each other in the sky. The star Regulus joins in to form a trio, which is visible to the naked eye the entire month.
Saturn: Saturn is also visible every night in November. It’s in the eastern sky when the sun sets, and sets on the western horizon shortly before sunrise. Right after dark is the best time to see it, but you’ll need binoculars or a telescope to capture its glorious rings.
Neptune: Neptune and Saturn are teamed up for November, with both of them being very close in the sky and following a similar trajectory. Bring binoculars or a telescope.
Uranus: Uranus is in the night sky every day in November, rising in the east shortly before sunset and setting in the west right around sunrise. It reaches opposition on Nov. 25, which means it’s as far away from the Earth’s Sun as it can get, and will be the most visible. You’ll still want to bring some binoculars or a telescope for best results.
A Moon, Mars and Jupiter Dance Party Starts and Ends the Month
Speaking of planetary views, the month of November begins with a meetup among Mars, Jupiter and the Moon. The three will appear close together in the night sky, making them easy to spot: The moon is easy to find, and both planets are visible to the naked eye. On Nov. 2, the moon will be closer to Mars, and the trio will follow one another across the sky throughout the night. Regulus will also be in tow and readily visible to the naked eye.
Nov. 3 continues the good vibes. The moon slides over to the other side of Regulus on that night, but all four celestial bodies are still quite close together and easy to spot. Mars, Jupiter, and Regulus will get even closer to each other as November progresses, but the Moon moves even further away after Nov. 3.
Now, it’s not often that the same event happens twice in a single month, but it turns out Jupiter, Mars, and our Moon just can’t seem to get enough of each other. The trio closes out the month the same way it started: hanging out very close together in the night sky. And yes, Regulus will once again tag along.
Unlike the prior meetup, this one only lasts for one night before the moon dashes away. Since all four of them are visible with the naked eye and the moon is still mostly full, people shouldn’t have any trouble finding them. Eagle-eyed stargazers may see Algieba nearby as well. It’s the second brightest star in the Leo constellation (behind Regulus), and it’s also visible without binoculars or a telescope.
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