From meteor showers to planets in opposition, the night sky this November will be a feast for the eyes.
Here are some things to look out for overhead this month.
The moon
Phases for November are as follows:
- New moon - October 25
- First quarter - November 1
- Beaver Moon - November 8
This full moon is named for the season in which beavers prepare their homes for winter. - Last quarter - November 16
- New moon - November 23
- First quarter - November 30
The planets
Mars is moving into opposition for early December and is currently in the constellation Orion.
The dwarf planet Ceres will pass through the Leo Triplet group of galaxies in early November.
On November 9, Uranus will be in opposition (opposite the sun), making it bright.
Electra, an open star cluster in the Pleiades, is at its highest on November 19 and can be seen with binoculars.
Meteor showers
Taurids
Active between October 20 and December 10, this shower will peak on November 12 and 13.
This shower is associated with Comet Encke and Asteroid 2004 TG, it has both a northern and southern component.
There will be around five meteors per hour, characterised by being very slow.
Leonids
Active between November 6 and 30, this shower will peak on November 17 and 18.
This shower is associated with Comet Tepel-Tuttle and gets its name from the constellation Leo.
There will be upwards of 15 meteors an hour, characterised by fast, bright meteors with fine trains.
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