Night Sky for November 2022

November is a wonderful month for stargazing! The skies are darker. The biting bugs have disappeared. And it’s that magic time before winter begins.

Now and for the remainder of the year, the action happens solely in the evening sky! As night falls, spot bright Jupiter and Saturn in the south. 

Spotlight on Mars

Our neighboring planet Mars is getting brighter and brighter throughout November as it heads towards its December 8 opposition when it will be brightest it’s been in two years! View Mars in the east, near the Pleiades or “Seven Sisters.” The red planet rises late in the evening at the start of November and early in the evening by end of month.  See planet rise and set times.

The Moon Visits the Planets This Month

The Moon features prominently throughout this month. Mark these pairings on your calendar. The Moon:

• dangles below Saturn on the 1st,
• closely below Jupiter on the 4th,
• above Mars on the 10th,
• below Mars on the 11th,
• to the left of Virgo’s blue star Spica on the 21st,
• below Saturn again on the 28th, and
• halfway between Jupiter and Saturn on the 30th. 

Total Lunar Eclipse on November 7–8

On the night of the 7th–8th, a very nice total eclipse of the Moon is at least partially visible from the entire U.S. and Canada during the second half of the night. West of the Mississippi, the eclipse may be seen in its entirety. The first inky bite of our planet’s shadow strikes the Moon at 4:09 E.S.T. meaning just after 4 AM in the Eastern States, and a little after 1 AM in the Pacific Time Zone, which means it’s technically happening  the opening hours of Tuesday.

See my post all about the November total lunar eclipse!

Reminder: Daylight Saving Time Ends

Remember to “fall back” to Standard time on Sunday morning, November 6, at 2 A.M. EDT. Learn more about Daylight Saving Time.

November Meteor Showers

First up this month are the “Taurids” which peak late evening the nights of November 11–12 . There are only a few per hour, but at least they peak in late evening versus pre-dawn like most meteor showers. So if you’re out camping or just outdoors that evening, perhaps you’ll catch a fireball or two! Though few in number, they are known to be exceptionally bright.

Then the “Leonids” peak November 16–17. This is a moderate meteor shower with about 10 to 15 meteors per hour after midnight. If you are watching for shooting stars, look toward the part of the night sky that’s furthest away from the Moon. See the Moon phase calendar.

For more information, see the meteor shower calendar.

Stargazing in November

Let’s not forget about stars and constellations this month! When you look to the south on November evenings, your view of the sky is dominated by “The Water.” This region of the night sky is full of constellations relating to aquatic life, but our tour of The Water begins with an airborne equine. Learn more and get our free and printable November Star Chart.