Celestial Events Every Stargazer Should Catch This November

We all have that friend who’s obsessed with celestial events. You know the one who can’t scroll past a night sky photo without pointing out the latest meteor shower, or who casually drops cosmic trivia into every conversation like it’s breaking news.

They’ll tell you that Mars is particularly bright tonight, or that a comet is visible from your backyard if you just squint hard enough. And then there’s the part you don’t really believe: the wild UFO story which they absolutely swear they saw; something alien streaking across the sky, with no alibi, no evidence, and yet an unshakable conviction that it was definitely extraterrestrial.

Honestly, sometimes, you can't even blame them for it. Human imagination is a wonderful thing they say. But this month, you don’t have to take their word for it. No alien sightings of course, but the Taurid meteor shower is putting on its annual light show, planets are aligning in ways that are actually visible to the naked eye, and the night sky is full of moments that feel almost otherworldly but this time right there above your head.

Whether you’re a casual stargazer, a dedicated astronomer, or just someone who enjoys an excuse to look up, there are plenty of magical celestial shows to witness this month.

One such spectacle already occurred at the beginning of November, when the rare largest full moon (beaver moon) of the year rose early in the month. Later, a 'micro' new moon will follow, providing ideal darkness for spotting fainter constellations like Orion and Taurus.

Best Upcoming Stargazing Events You Can’t Afford To Miss

1. Northern Taurid Meteor Shower
When: November 11–12

The month’s first meteor event peaks the night of November 11 into the early hours of November 12. The Northern Taurids are a relatively weak shower, averaging about five meteors per hour. But when they overlap with the Southern Taurids as they do in 2025, your chances of catching a fireball spike. Both showers come from the debris trail of Comet Encke, which has spread wide enough to form two separate meteor streams.

2. Leonid Meteor Shower
When: November 17–18

The Leonids return mid-month, peaking overnight from November 17 to 18 as Earth passes through Comet Tempel-Tuttle’s debris. With a waning crescent moon at just 9% illumination, conditions are perfect for a dark-sky display. While the Leonids are famous for epic outbursts in history, in 2025 expect a steady show of up to 15 meteors per hour.

3. Micro New Moon
When: November 20

On November 20, the new moon occurs near its farthest point from Earth aka a “micro” new moon. It won’t be visible at all, making it the ultimate night for stargazing. With no moonlight to interfere, faint star clusters, nebulae, and distant galaxies are easier to spot with binoculars or a telescope. All you need to do except wait for the date is to maybe invest in good astro-gears to make it worthwhile.

4. Mercury At Highest Altitude

If you haven't already spotted a tiny red dot in the night sky, are you even truly into astronomy and stargazing? In the first of week of November, Mercury's reached its highest point in the night sky and is visible to the naked eye after sunset.

5. Uranus at Opposition
When: November 21

The icy planet Uranus reaches opposition on November 21, shining at its brightest (though still dim at magnitude +5.6). Located in Aries, it’s visible through binoculars as a tiny point of light and reveals a blue-green disk in a stronger telescope.

6. Prime-Time Constellations All Month

November is prime for Northern Hemisphere winter and Southern Hemisphere summer constellations. Look for Orion’s unmistakable three-star belt and Taurus, which hosts the Hyades and is the origin point for both Taurid meteor showers.

7. The Hyades Star Cluster
When: November 27

Late November brings the Hyades cluster to its peak, around midnight. Just 150 light-years away in Taurus, this V-shaped group of stars forms the bull’s face. It’s also near Aldebaran, the constellation’s iconic orange star.