November 2026 brings an active astronomical calendar featuring two overlapping Taurid meteor showers, the peak of the Leonids, a close dawn pairing of Mars and Jupiter, and a full supermoon on November 24 according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Skywatchers heading outdoors this month face an unusually busy schedule of celestial events spanning evening planets and predawn meteor showers. Following the end of Daylight Saving Time on November 1—which shifted standard clock times an hour earlier and created a 25-hour day by repeating the hour from 1:00 to 2:00 a.m.—the night sky offers clearer viewing windows for early evenings. Observers can track planetary alignments, planetary conjunctions, and multiple shooting star displays without needing to stay awake all night.
This November presents an opportunity to observe all seven planets in a single night through two brief observation sessions in the evening and before dawn. Saturn serves as a featured evening target in the southern sky, while early risers can spot Venus shining as a silvery lamp in the east-southeast, rising nearly three and a half hours before the sun by the end of the month and reaching a magnitude of -4.9.
Southern and Northern Taurid Meteors and Fireball Activity
The month begins with the twin Taurid meteor showers originating from the constellation Taurus. The Southern Taurids reach their peak around November 5, while the Northern Taurids follow on November 12.
The American Meteor Society described lunar conditions for the early Taurid activity as favorable, with a 25 percent illuminated moon during the Southern Taurids. For the best experience, observers should seek dark locations away from light pollution, dress warmly with hats and footwear, keep phone screens dim, and allow their eyes to settle into the dark.
Mars and Jupiter Conjunction in Leo
Mid-November brings a close pairing of planets in the eastern morning sky. On the mornings of November 15 and 16, Mars and Jupiter appear just 1.2 degrees apart—a little more than the width of two full Moons side by side. Jupiter shines brightly, accompanied by reddish Mars. Joe Rao, an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium who writes for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope, and The Old Farmer’s Almanac, notes that observers can find Mars using the moon as a guide on November 2.
Earlier in the month, on November 2, observers in parts of the Southern Hemisphere can witness an unusual lunar occultation where the moon temporarily hides Jupiter from view, with a reference time reported at 20:45 GMT. Meanwhile, Venus dominates the predawn eastern horizon, forming a tight gathering with a crescent moon and the bright star Spica on November 7, before brightening steadily throughout the month and reaching a magnitude of -4.9 on the penultimate day of November.
Leonid Meteor Shower Peak on November 17 and 18
The headline meteor event of the month is the Leonid shower, active from November 6 through November 30 and peaking on the night of November 16-17 according to the American Meteor Society, with NASA listing the peak night on November 16-17. Observers targeting the early morning hours after the Moon sets can expect up to around 15 meteors per hour under ideal conditions according to NASA, with practical rates under clear dark skies reaching 7 to 10 per hour, while Russia’s Ural Federal University educational observatory has forecast up to 20 meteors per hour at the peak.
The International Meteor Organization places the regular maximum at 23:45 UTC on November 17.
Beaver Supermoon on November 24
The month concludes with a full supermoon on November 24, reaching peak illumination at 9:53 a.m. EST.