What’s Up in the Sky in November?
It looks like November will be a good month to look up! There’s a lot going on in the sky, particularly in the constellation Leo, which hosts planetary meet-ups and Moon-planet close approaches. It’s also home to the Leonid meteor shower radiant, where the shooting stars of the Leonids appear to come from.
Skywatchers can look forward to plenty of planet highlights. Venus is at its brightest, Mercury reaches greatest elongation west, and Uranus is at opposition. These events make the planets easier to spot, although you’ll likely need binoculars to see Uranus, unless you have very good eyesight.
If you need a guide to this elusive planet, look out for it near the Super Beaver Moon toward the end of the month.
*Naked-eye events—although you should NEVER look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection. The Night Sky Map links generally use New York City, USA, as an example location, but other locations may be used where they provide a better view of an event.
Planets to Watch
Mars and Jupiter are the “stars” of the show this month. You can see them get closer together each night, before meeting in a close approach on November 16.
Venus is visible in the morning for much of the month. In the Northern Hemisphere, Mercury also joins the party from around mid-November, appearing low on the eastern horizon just before sunrise.
Together with Mars and Jupiter, they form a mini planet parade that skywatchers can see in the early morning sky throughout much of the second half of the month. Southern Hemisphere observers can enjoy the same parade, just without Mercury.
Mercury reaches its greatest elongation west on November 20, when it appears farthest from the Sun in the morning sky, making it easier to spot. Venus is at its brightest of 2026 on November 27, according to our Planet Tracker Tool. This makes it a great time to look out for both planets before sunrise.
Venus reaches peak brightnessThe Moon cozies up to a fair few planets over the course of the month. In some locations, it even passes in front of them, briefly hiding them from view during events known as occultations.
November rounds off with a beautiful gathering in the sky, as the Moon makes close approaches to both Mars and Jupiter on November 30. The trio meets up in Leo, with the bright star Regulus alongside them.
This is quite the neat little gathering of celestial bodies. It’s a good opportunity for anyone to look up, but especially for people who don’t have much experience with the night sky yet.
The Moon can act as a guiding beacon, helping you identify the two planets, as well as Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo, and generally one of the brighter stars in the night sky.
Renate Mauland-Hus, Astrophysicist
mungfali.galihkartiwa07.workers.devNovember’s Shooting Stars
The Leonids are this month’s meteor shower, and skywatchers in both hemispheres have a chance to see them.
As with most meteor showers, the best time to look out for them is in the hours between midnight and dawn. Luckily, this year, moonlight won’t interfere too much with the peak viewing hours. The Moon will be just past its First Quarter phase, setting around midnight in many locations.
The Leonids are expected to reach their peak on November 17–18. For the best chance of spotting some shooting stars, head out before sunrise in the early hours of November 18.
However, in recent years, it hasn’t been one of the most active meteor showers. In 2026, rates could reach up to 15 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, so the sky won’t be filled with shooting stars.
The good news is that even if you don’t get to enjoy meteors streaking across the sky, there’s still plenty to see in the early morning sky. Look out for a mini planet parade, with Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury potentially visible before dawn.
Look Out for Orion
November marks the beginning of a great viewing period for Orion, one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky.
During this time of year, Orion lies opposite the Sun in the sky, so it is high in the sky at night and easy to see.
As well as Orion’s famous belt, look out for Betelgeuse, the red supergiant star marking one of Orion’s shoulders. Its reddish glow makes it stand out in the night sky.
The constellation is also known as Orion the Hunter because of its distinctive shape. It’s likely for this reason that it’s associated with many myths and legends across different cultures.
According to one Greek myth, the Hunter Orion relentlessly pursued the seven daughters of Titan Atlas and the sea nymph Pleione. To protect them, Zeus transformed them into stars, forming the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters.
Orion appears to be forever chasing them across the night sky. But according to another Greek myth, the Hunter himself is pursued by the scorpion of Scorpius.
How to spot OrionWhere Is the Sun in the Zodiac in November?
As Earth completes one orbit around the Sun each year, the Sun appears to travel through constellations within the zodiac, which astronomers define as a strip of sky on either side of the ecliptic.
These include the 12 “traditional” constellations of the zodiac—such as Aquarius and Leo—plus the lesser-known constellation Ophiuchus, through which the Sun passes each year around December.
In November 2026, the Sun begins the month in the constellation Libra before crossing into Scorpius on November 23.
Readers familiar with horoscopes may notice these dates don’t match the zodiac sign dates they’re used to—in Western astrology, Libra typically runs from late September to late October.
This offset is a consequence of axial precession, a slow wobble in Earth’s rotational axis that has shifted the stars’ apparent positions since Western astrological signs were defined more than 2,000 years ago. Back then, the signs matched the constellations the Sun appeared in more closely—but the two have since drifted apart by about 30°, or roughly one month.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the Leonids peak?
The Leonids peak on November 17–18. Skywatchers may be able to see up to 15 meteors per hour under good viewing conditions.
When is the Super Beaver Moon?
In 2026, November’s Full Moon, known as the Beaver Moon, is also a Supermoon and falls on November 24 at 14:53 UTC.
What is an occultation?
An occultation occurs when one celestial object passes in front of another and temporarily hides it from view. For example, the Moon can occult a planet or star as seen from certain locations on Earth.