Clear November night skies offer incredible celestial sights for stargazers to be thankful for, so bundle up and get outside for stargazing fun!
The Pleiades
November is sometimes called "the month of the Pleiades," since the star cluster is visible all night long for observers in the Northern hemisphere. From a dark sky site, M45 is easy to see with the unaided eye and resembles a small "teaspoon" pattern in the sky. Use astronomy binoculars for immersive views of this open star cluster, or use a telescope with a lower-power eyepiece for a closer look at the Seven Sisters.
Taurids Meteor Shower
On the night of November 5, the Taurids Meteor Shower will peak. Best time to view it will be before moonrise midnight at 00:04 November 6. Look near the constellation Taurus, but be aware that meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.
Jupiter
The king of our planets, Jupiter, reaches opposition on the 2nd of November, making it the best night of the year to observe this incredibly detailed object and its bright Galilean moons! You'll have the best opportunity to pick out festoons and barges floating in the upper atmosphere, among the bands and belts that define the planets major zones. Want to affirm the earth is sitting directly between Jupiter and the Sun? Get out in the early hours of November 3rd to see Io cast its shadow such that it appears directly below on those cloud tops in a shadow transit!
New Moon
This is the best time of the month to observe the fainter deep-sky objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. This year November new moon occurs on the 13th.
Leonids
Bundle up and get outside after midnight on November 17th to see the peak of the Leonids meteor shower as "shooting stars" appear to radiate outwards from the constellation Leo. The Moon will rise shortly after midnight, making late night on the 17th best time for meteor-gazing when the skies will be nice and dark. If you want an exciting view of this month's meteor showers, our 2x54 Ultra Wide Angle Binoculars are perfect!
Double Cluster in Perseus
Use a pair of big binoculars or a shorter focal length telescope with a wide-field eyepiece in November to seek out the sparkling Double Cluster in Perseus — two side by side open star clusters NGC 884 and NGC 869.
All objects described above can easily be seen with the suggested equipment from a dark sky site, a viewing location some distance away from city lights where light pollution and when bright moonlight does not overpower the stars.
