What’s Up: November 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA
NASA highlights November skywatching events including Taurid and Leonid meteor showers, a Mars-Jupiter conjunction, Voyager 1’s light-day milestone, and a supermoon.
The Southern Taurids meteor shower peaks around November 5th, followed by the Northern Taurids around November 12th, with both producing about five meteors per hour under ideal conditions. Occasionally, bright fireballs may appear, rewarding patient observers. For the best experience, find a dark location and allow your eyes at least 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness.
On November 15th and 16th, Mars and Jupiter will appear close together in the predawn sky, separated by about 1.2 degrees—slightly more than the width of two full Moons. Jupiter will be the brighter object, with reddish Mars nearby, both visible to the naked eye. Over several mornings, their positions will shift as they appear to draw closer before moving apart.
NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft will reach a light-day milestone in November, becoming the first human-made object to travel one light-day from Earth. Signals sent at light speed will take 24 hours to reach the spacecraft and another 24 hours to return. The spacecraft is currently traveling in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus.
A supermoon will illuminate the sky on November 24th, appearing larger and brighter due to the Moon’s closer orbit. This marks the first of three consecutive supermoons ending in January. The Moon may appear even larger near the horizon due to the Moon illusion, a common effect with full Moons.