Looking for a telescope for the next night sky event? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide.
The night sky tonight and on any clear night offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects you can see, from stars and constellations to bright planets, the moon, and sometimes special events like meteor showers.
Observing the night sky can be done with no special equipment, although a sky map can be very useful, and a good telescope or binoculars will enhance some experiences and bring some otherwise invisible objects into view. You can also use astronomy accessories to make your observing easier, and use our Satellite Tracker page powered by N2YO.comto find out when and how to see the International Space Station and other satellites. We also have a helpful guide on how you can see and track a Starlink satellite train.
You can also capture the night sky by using any of the best cameras for astrophotography, along with a selection of the best lenses for astrophotography.
Read on to find out what's up in the night sky tonight (planets visible now, moon phases, observing highlights this month) plus other resources (skywatching terms, night sky observing tips and further reading)
Related: The brightest planets in November's night sky: How to see them (and when)
Monthly skywatching information is provided to Space.com by Chris Vaughan of Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu and Chris at @Astrogeoguy
Editor's note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo and would like to share them with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
Calendar of observing highlights
Thursday, Nov. 2: Asteroid Vesta reverses course (overnight)
On Thursday, Nov. 2, the eastward prograde motion of the large, main belt asteroid Vesta through the background stars of Gemini (red path) will slow to a stop.
Tonight magnitude 6.7 Vesta will be relatively easy to find in binoculars (orange circle) and backyard telescopes in the eastern sky between the feet of the twins. Search midway between the stars Tejat Posterior and Alhena, both of which are visible with your unaided eyes or binoculars.
From now until early February the asteroid will travel to the upper right (or celestial west) of those stars, toward Orion's upraised club. Retrograde loops occur when Earth, on a faster orbit closer to the sun, passes more distant solar system objects "on the inside track", making them appear to move backward across the stars for a period of time.
Thursday, Nov. 2: Jupiter at opposition (all night)
On Thursday night, Nov. 2 in the Americas, Jupiter will reach opposition among the stars of southern Aries. At opposition, planets rise in the east at sunset and cross the sky all night long before setting in the west at sunrise. Jupiter will also be at a minimum distance from Earth for this year of 370.2 million miles, 595.8 million km, or 33.1 light-minutes, boosting its brilliance to magnitude -2.91.
Viewed in a telescope (inset), the planet will display a generous, 49.5 arc-seconds-wide disk striped with equatorial bands. Around opposition, Jupiter and its four large Galilean satellites frequently eclipse and occult one another, and cast their round, black shadows on the planet — singly and in pairs. The Great Red Spot will cross the planet's disk every second or third night.
Friday, Nov. 3: A Pretty Moon near Pollux (late night)
When the waning gibbous moon rises over the eastern treetops on Friday evening, Nov. 3, it will be positioned about a binoculars' field below (or southeast of) the bright golden star Pollux, which marks the head of Gemini's eastern twin. The slightly fainter and whiter double star Castor will shine above them.
The orbit of our natural satellite (green line) shifts it by about its own diameter every hour, so observers viewing the scene later or in more westerly time zones will see the moon farther from Pollux. The diurnal rotation of the sky will also pivot their line to horizontal for early risers viewing them high in the southwest at dawn on Saturday.
Saturday, Nov. 4: Saturn stops moving (evening)
On Saturday night, Nov. 4, Saturn's westward retrograde motion through the stars of central Aquarius will slow to a stop as it completes a retrograde loop that it began in June.
Saturn's magnitude 0.7, yellowish dot will appear in the lower part of the southeastern sky at dusk, climb to its highest point due south at 8:15 p.m. local time, and then set in the west around 1:30 a.m.
Retrograde loops occur when Earth, on a faster orbit closer to the sun, passes more distant solar system objects "on the inside track", making them appear to move backward across the stars for a while. Saturn's loop covered about a palm's width or six degrees of the sky.
Saturday, Nov. 4: Medusa's eye pulses (at 6:56 p.m. EDT)
The star Algol in the constellation of Perseus represents the glowing eye of Medusa from Greek mythology. Also designated Beta Persei, it is among the most accessible variable stars for skywatchers.
During a ten-hour period that repeats like clockwork every two days, 20 hours, and 49 minutes, Algol dims noticeably and re-brightens by about a third when a fainter companion star with an orbit nearly edge-on to Earth crosses in front of its much brighter primary, reducing the total light output we perceive.
Algol normally shines at magnitude 2.1, similar to the nearby star Almach (aka Gamma Andromedae). But while fully dimmed, Algol's brightness of magnitude 3.4 is almost identical to Rho Persei (or Gorgonea Tertia or ρ Per), the star sitting just two finger widths to Algol's lower right (or 2.25 degrees to the celestial south).
On Saturday evening, Nov. 4 at 6:56 p.m. EDT or 22:56 GMT, Algol will be at its minimum brightness. At that time it will be located in the lower part of the northeastern sky. Five hours later the star will return to full intensity from a perch nearly overhead. Observers in more westerly time zones can see the latter stages of the brightening.
Sunday, Nov. 5: Third Quarter Moon (at 3:37 EST)
The moon will complete three-quarters of its orbit around Earth, measured from the previous new moon, on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 3:37 a.m. EST, 12:37 a.m. PST, or 08:37 GMT. At the third (or last) quarter phase the moon is half-illuminated, on its western, sunward side.
It will rise around midnight local time, and then remain visible until it sets in the western daytime sky in the early afternoon. Third quarter moons are positioned ahead of the Earth in our trip around the sun. About 3½ hours later, Earth will occupy that same location in space. The week of dark, moonless evening skies that follow this phase are the best ones for observing fainter deep sky targets.
Sunday, Nov. 5: Southern Taurids meteor shower peak (late evening)
The Southern Taurids shower, which runs worldwide from Sept. 28 to Dec. 2 annually, will reach its maximum rate of about five meteors per hour on Sunday evening, Nov. 5. Some meteors will appear as the sky darkens on Sunday, but the best viewing time in the Americas will be around midnight before the bright, waning crescent moon enters the eastern sky.
Taurid meteors, which can appear anywhere in the sky, will be traveling away from a point in western Taurus near Jupiter. The long-lasting, weak shower is the first of two consecutive showers derived from debris dropped by the passage of periodic Comet 2P/Encke. The larger-than-average grain sizes of the comet's debris often produce colorful fireballs.
Monday, Nov. 6: See the Double Cluster (all night)
The northeastern sky on November evenings hosts the bright constellations of Perseus and W-shaped Cassiopeia, with the very bright star Capella positioned below them.
The sky between Perseus and Cassiopeia hosts the Double Cluster, a pair of bright open star clusters that together cover a finger's width of the sky. They make a spectacular sight in binoculars (orange circle) or a telescope at low magnification.
The higher (more westerly) cluster, designated NGC 869, is dense and contains more than 200 white and blue-white stars. The lower (easterly) cluster NGC 884 is looser and includes a handful of 8th-magnitude golden stars. The clusters, which formed in the same part of the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way galaxy, are about 7,300 light-years away from us. The clusters would be even brighter if they weren't being dimmed by opaque dust in the galactic plane. Between now until the full moon on October 28, look for a broad wedge of faint light extending upwards from the eastern horizon and centered on the ecliptic. It will be strongest in the lower third of the sky, below the bright planet Venus. Try taking a long exposure photograph to capture the zodiacal light, but don’t confuse it with the Milky Way, which is positioned nearby in the southern sky
Tuesday, Nov. 7: The Andromeda Galaxy (all night)
On November evenings, the Andromeda Galaxy is positioned very high in the eastern sky. This large spiral galaxy, also designated Messier 31 (or M31) and NGC 224, is located 2.5 million light-years from us, and covers an area of sky measuring 3 by 1 degrees.
That corresponds to six by two full moon diameters! In a dark sky, M31 can be seen with your unaided eyes as a sizeable faint smudge located 1.4 fist diameters to the lower left (or 14 degrees to the celestial northeast) of Alpheratz, the star that occupies the lower left (northeastern) corner of the Great Square of Pegasus. The three higher (westernmost) stars of Cassiopeia, named Caph, Shedar, and Gamma Cas, also conveniently form an arrow that points toward M31.
Binoculars give the best views of the entire galaxy. In a backyard telescope, use your lowest magnification eyepiece and look for M31's two smaller companion galaxies (inset) — the foreground, brighter Messier 32 and the more distant, fainter Messier 110.
Thursday, Nov. 9: Horns of the moon beside Venus (pre-dawn)
Check the morning weather forecast and then set the alarm for Thursday morning, Nov. 9 to see one of the most spectacular conjunctions of the year. In the eastern sky between 3 a.m. and sunrise, the horns of the pretty crescent moon will shine less than a lunar diameter to the left (or celestial northeast) of the brilliant planet Venus.
The pair will be close enough to share the view in a backyard telescope (green circle) — but binoculars or your unaided eyes will more than suffice. The meet-up will make a lovely photo when composed with some interesting landscapes.
Observers in most of Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, western Russia, Europe (except the Iberian Peninsula), parts of northern Africa, and most of the Middle East can observe the moon occult Venus in a twilit or daytime sky.
Saturday, Nov. 11: Northern Taurids meteor shower peak (all night)
The Northern Taurids meteor shower, which runs worldwide from Oct. 20 to Dec. 10 annually, will reach its maximum overnight on Saturday, Nov. 11 in the Americas.
The best viewing time for North American skywatchers will be the hours around midnight when the shower's radiant near the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus will be well above the horizon in a dark, moonless sky. Some Taurids should also be visible on Sunday night.
The long-lasting, weak shower is the second of two consecutive showers derived from debris dropped by the passage of periodic Comet 2P/Encke. The Northern Taurids shower typically delivers five meteors per hour at its peak. The larger-than-average grain sizes of the particles often produce colorful fireballs.
Monday, Nov. 13: New Moon (at 4:27 EST)
The moon will reach its new phase on Monday, Nov. 13 at 4:27 a.m. EST, 1:27 a.m. PST, or 09:27 GMT. At that time our natural satellite will be located in Libra, 2.5 degrees south of the sun.
While new, the moon is traveling between Earth and the sun. Since sunlight can only reach the far side of the moon, and the moon is in the same region of the sky as the sun, the moon becomes unobservable from anywhere on Earth for about a day (except during a solar eclipse). On the evenings following the new moon phase, Earth's planetary partner will return to shine in the western sky after sunset.
Monday, Nov. 13: Uranus at opposition (all night)
On Monday, Nov. 13 Uranus will reach opposition — the night of the year when it is closest to Earth at a distance of 1.74 billion miles, 2.78 billion km, or 155 light-minutes.
The planet will shine at a peak brightness of magnitude 5.62 as it crosses the sky all night long, making it readily visible in binoculars and backyard telescopes. Uranus' small, blue-green dot will also appear slightly larger in telescopes for about a week centered on opposition night.
Uranus has been moving slowly retrograde westwards through southeastern Aries. This week it will be positioned roughly midway between Jupiter and the Pleiades Star Cluster aka Messier 45. Uranus' location is about two finger widths below (or two degrees to the celestial south of) the medium-bright stars Botein and Epsilon Arietis will aid in your binoculars search (orange circle).
Tuesday, Nov. 14: Slender moon and Antares meet Mercury (after sunset)
For a short time after sunset on Tuesday, Nov. 14, just above the southwestern horizon, the very slender crescent of the young moon will shine several finger-widths to the left (or four degrees to the celestial southeast) of Mercury. That will make them close enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle), but delay your search until the sun has completely set.
On the same evening, the moon will shine very near Scorpius' bright star Antares, occulting it in daylight or twilight for observers in the continental U.S. and Canada, northern Central America, the northern Caribbean, and Bermuda. All three objects will be a challenge to see from mid-northern latitudes, but observers located nearer the tropics and farther south will see them more easily in a darker sky.
Thursday, Nov. 16: Earthshine (after sunset)
On the evenings surrounding Thursday, Nov. 16, the young crescent moon will shine low in the southwestern sky after sunset.
Watch for Earthshine, also known as the Ashen Glow and "the old moon in the new moon's arms". That's sunlight reflected off Earth and back onto the moon, slightly brightening the dark portion of the moon's Earth-facing hemisphere.
The phenomenon appears for several days after each new moon but is strongest in springtime at mid-northern latitudes when the moon is positioned directly above the sun when it sets.
Friday, Nov. 17: Leonid meteor shower peaks (all night)
The annual Leonids meteor shower, derived from material left by repeated passages of periodic Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, runs from Nov. 6 to Nov. 30.
The peak of the shower, when up to 15 meteors per hour are predicted, will occur overnight on Friday, Nov. 17 in the Americas. At that time, Earth will be traversing the densest part of the comet's debris train. While you should see a few Leonids after dusk on Friday evening — many with persistent trains — more of them will be apparent on Saturday in the hours before dawn when the radiant in the head of Leo will be highest in the southeastern sky.
The waxing crescent moon will set at around 8 p.m. local time on Friday, leaving the rest of the night dark for meteor-watching.
Saturday, Nov. 18: Lunar craters Theophilus, Cyrillus, and Catharina (evening)
On Saturday evening, Nov. 18, the terminator boundary between the moon's lit and dark hemispheres will fall just to the left of a trio of large craters named Theophilus, Cyrillus, and Catharina that curve along the western edge of gray Mare Nectaris.
You can tell what order the craters were formed in by observing how sharp and fresh Theophilus' rim appears and how it has partially overprinted neighboring Cyrillus to its lower left (or lunar southwest). Under magnification, Theophilus' terraced rim and craggy central mountain peak are evident. Cyrillus hosts a trio of degraded central peaks inside a hexagonal rim, while much older Catharina's peak has been submerged, her edges blurred and her floor overprinted by smaller, more recent craters.
Sunday, Nov. 19: Waxing moon poses with planets (evening)
Get ready for some lunar planetary conjunctions! Over a week starting on Sunday evening, Nov. 19, the waxing moon will visit four planets in succession — Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, and Uranus.
As darkness falls on Sunday evening, the pretty, 44%-illuminated crescent moon will shine a generous fist's diameter (11 degrees) to the lower right of yellowish Saturn in the southern sky. When the moon sets a short time before 11 p.m. local time, it will be below Saturn and a little closer to it.
On the following evening, the 57%-illuminated, waxing gibbous moon will hop past Saturn to pose a few finger-widths to the planet's lower left (or celestial southeast). Saturn will be shining below the moon by the time they set at about 11:30 p.m. local time on Monday night.
Monday, Nov. 20: First Quarter Moon (at 5:50 EST)
The moon will complete the first quarter of its 29.53-day journey around Earth on Monday, Nov. 20 at 5:50 a.m. EST, 2:50 a.m. PST, and 10:50 GMT. At first quarter, the moon's 90-degree angle from the sun causes us to see it half-illuminated on its eastern side.
First quarter moons always rise around mid-day and set around midnight, so they are also visible in the afternoon daytime sky. The evenings surrounding first quarter are the best ones for seeing the lunar terrain when it is dramatically lit by low-angled sunlight, especially along the terminator. This pole-to-pole boundary separates the moon's lit and dark hemispheres.
Tuesday, Nov. 21: Bright moon near Neptune (evening)
The moon's next visit with a planet will be on Tuesday evening, Nov. 21. Tonight, the 67%-illuminated, waxing gibbous moon will shine a palm's width to the lower right of distant blue Neptune.
While the magnitude 7.9 planet can be seen in big binoculars and most backyard telescopes, the nearby bright moon will make it hard to see. Instead, use your binoculars (orange circle) to find the five medium-bright stars of Aquarius designated Phi, Chi, and Psi1, Psi2, and Psi3 Aquarii that will be twinkling in an up-down line a thumb's width to the moon's right (celestial west) and three stars of Pisces named 27, 30, and 33 Piscium that will form a triangle about a fist's diameter to the moon's left. Locate those stars again on a night when the moon has moved away and Neptune will be found above and between the two groupings.
Friday, Nov. 24: Nearly full moon joins Jupiter (all night)
Even before the sky fully darkens on Friday, Nov. 24, the bright, nearly full moon will catch your eye in the eastern sky, with the dazzling planet Jupiter shining to its lower left.
As they cross the sky together through the night, the moon's easterly orbital motion will carry it closer to Jupiter. Meanwhile, the diurnal rotation of the sky will alter their alignment before they set in the west around 5 a.m. local time on Saturday.
Saturday, Nov. 25: Bright moon outshines Uranus (all night)
The moon's final visit with the evening planets this month will occur on Saturday night, November 25 when the very bright, 98%-illuminated moon will shine several finger-widths to the upper right (or 4 degrees to the celestial west) of Uranus.
While magnitude 5.6 Uranus can be seen easily in binoculars, especially now that it is recently past opposition, tonight's moonlight will overwhelm the planet. Instead, note that Uranus is positioned a little closer to the Pleiades star cluster and a little farther from Jupiter, and seek out the ice giant planet when the moon has left the scene a few nights later.
Sunday, Nov. 26: The Apollo landing sites (all night)
The six crewed Apollo Missions were sent to different regions of the moon to carry out experiments and to bring back rock samples that help us determine the age and composition of the moon's surface.
For safety reasons, Apollo 11 was sent to the flat and relatively featureless terrain of Mare Tranquillitatis "Sea of Tranquility" near the moon's equator (red line). Later missions landed in more rugged regions with complex geology. When the moon approaches its full phase, all of the sites where the astronauts explored are illuminated by sunlight, but no telescope on Earth is strong enough to see the equipment they left on the moon.
Related: Apollo landing sites: An observer's guide on how to spot them on the moon
Monday, Nov. 27: Full Frost Moon (at 4:16 EST)
The November Full Moon, traditionally known as the Beaver Moon or Frost Moon, always shines within or near the stars of Taurus and Aries. The moon will reach its full phase, opposite the sun in the western pre-dawn sky, at 4:16 a.m. EST, 1:16 a.m. PST, or 09:16 GMT on Monday, Nov. 27.
Indigenous groups have their own names for the full moons, which lit the way of the hunter or traveler at night before modern conveniences like flashlights. The Anishinaabe people of the Great Lakes region call this one Mnidoons Giizis Oonhg, the "Little Spirit Moon", a time of healing. The Cree Nation of central Canada calls it Kaskatinowipisim, the "Rivers Freeze-up Moon", when the lakes and rivers start to freeze. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois / Mohawk) of Eastern North America call it Kentenhko:wa, the "Time of Much Poverty Moon". Full moons that occur during the cold months in North America will climb as high in the sky as the summer noonday sun and cast similar shadows.
Tuesday, Nov. 28: Moonlight tolerant stars (evening)
Only the brightest stars are visible to our unaided eyes on moonlit-flooded nights. In the western sky on Tuesday evening, Nov. 28, the very bright star Vega in the constellation of Lyra the Harp will be descending the western sky. At magnitude 0.0, it's the 5th brightest star in the entire sky (not counting our sun).
The star Altair in Aquila the Eagle shining several fist diameters to Vega's left has a magnitude value of 0.75, making it the 13th brightest star. Deneb in Cygnus the Swan will be located above and between the other two, rounding out the trio of hot white stars that form the Summer Triangle asterism. At magnitude 1.25, Deneb is the 20th brightest star.
Observers with a very low southwestern horizon might be able to see Fomalhaut, ranked 18th, in Piscis Austrinus the Southern Fish. Over in the east, very bright yellowish Capella (ranked 6th) in Auriga will be shining to the upper left of reddish Aldebaran (ranked 14th), the eye of Taurus the Bull.
Wednesday, Nov. 29: Great Red Spot and Io's shadow cross Jupiter (5:41 to 7:50 p.m. EST)
From time to time, observers with good telescopes can watch the small, round, black shadows of the Galilean moons traverse Jupiter's disk.
On Wednesday evening, Nov. 29, sky-watchers east of the Mountain Time zone will have a special treat as the shadow of Io leads the Great Red Spot across Jupiter. At 5 p.m. EST (or 10:00 GMT) Io will begin to cross Jupiter — but its position alongside a dark belt will make seeing that moon difficult.
Io's shadow will rotate into view at 5:41 p.m. EST (or 10:41 GMT). Then the Great Red Spot will appear by about 7 p.m. EST (or 00:00 GMT on Nov. 30) and begin to follow Io's shadow. Io's bright dot will break free of Jupiter at 7:11 p.m. EST (or 00:11 GMT). Io's shadow will complete its passage at 7:50 p.m. (or 00:50 GMT), leaving the spot to cross alone until about 10:40 p.m. EST (or 03:40 GMT).
Visible planets in November
Mercury
After the first week of November Mercury will become visible above the southwestern horizon after sunset. Its position several degrees south of the ecliptic will hold it very low in the sky for mid-northern latitude observers — making this a very poor apparition for them, but an excellent one for residents of the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere where the planet will be much higher after sunset.
Since Mercury will be reducing its distance from Earth during November, the planet will diminish in brightness from magnitude -0.6 to -0.47, wane in illuminated phase, and grow in apparent disk size in a telescope — ending the month just days away from its greatest eastern elongation and showing a 72%-lit, 6.2 arc-seconds-wide football shape.
The planet will travel eastward from Libra, through Scorpius and southern Ophiuchus before entering Sagittarius on Nov. 28. On Nov. 14 the very slender crescent moon will shine several finger-widths to the left (or four degrees to the celestial southeast) of Mercury.
Venus
The brilliant planet Venus will continue to dominate the eastern pre-dawn sky during November, even while it slowly drops sunward. At the beginning of the month, the magnitude -4.4 "morning star" will rise in southeastern Leo at around 3:30 a.m. local time.
In a telescope, the planet will display a half-illuminated phase and an apparent disk diameter of 22 arc-seconds. With each passing day, Venus will slowly increase in illuminated phase, shrink in size, and diminish in brightness.
Venus will spend most of November traveling prograde eastward through Virgo, passing close to the double stars Beta Virginis on Nov. 6 and Porrima on Nov. 17 and ending the month shining several degrees north of Virgo's brightest star, Spica. By Nov. 30, Venus will be displaying a 67%-illuminated, football shape apparent in backyard telescopes and good binoculars.
On Nov. 9, early risers can see a spectacular close pairing of the waning crescent moon and Venus. That day, most of Europe and the Middle East can also witness the moon occulting Venus in the daytime.
Mars
Mars will be unobservable during November while it passes behind the sun on Nov. 17-18. The red planet will return to visibility in the eastern pre-dawn sky early next year.
Jupiter
The very bright, white planet Jupiter will be well-placed for observing through most of the night during November. The gas giant will be sliding westward across the stars of southern Aries — followed by Uranus, which will be positioned a dozen degrees to Jupiter's east. Overnight on Nov. 2 in the Americas, Jupiter will reach opposition for 2023.
Since Earth will be positioned between the sun and the planet on that date, Jupiter will rise at sunset, remain visible all night long, and set at sunrise. At opposition, Jupiter will approach 370.2 million miles, 595.8 million km, or 33.1 light-minutes from Earth, and it will shine at its maximum brightness for 2023 of magnitude -2.91.
Jupiter passed perihelion in January 2023, so the planet's generous, 49.5 arc-seconds-wide disk will shrink a little at each opposition for the next handful of years. Binoculars will reveal Jupiter's four large Galilean moons flanking the planet on any night, and views of Jupiter in a backyard telescope will show its equatorial zones and belts. Better quality optics will reveal the Great Red Spot every 2nd or 3rd night. Around opposition, Jupiter's Galilean satellites frequently eclipse and occult one another, and the round, black shadows they cast upon the planet can be seen crossing Jupiter's disk. The nearly full moon will shine to the upper right (celestial west) of Jupiter on Nov. 24.
Saturn
During November the creamy-yellow dot of Saturn will first appear in the lower part of the southern sky after dusk.
The planet will be setting in the west before 11 p.m. local time at month's end, but the earlier sunsets of autumn will deliver several hours of excellent evening viewing all month long. On Nov. 4, Saturn's westward retrograde motion through the stars of central Aquarius will slow to a stop as it completes a retrograde loop that began in June. It will spend the rest of November ramping up its eastward trek and slightly decreasing its 24-degree separation from Neptune to its east.
Over the month, Saturn's brightness will diminish a little from magnitude 0.7 to 0.85. Viewed in a telescope during November Saturn will show an apparent disk diameter of 17.4 arc-seconds, and its rings will span nearly 41 arc-seconds.
Saturn's rings will be tilting more edge-on to Earth every year until the spring of 2025 and are already noticeably less wide. Quality optics and good seeing conditions will allow you to see the dark, narrow Cassini Division in the rings and the wedge of shadow that Saturn's globe casts upon their eastern side. Watch for a handful of Saturn's moons arrayed as tiny dots around the planet. The waxing first quarter moon will hop past Saturn on November 19-20.
Uranus
Uranus will reach opposition on Nov. 13, making it an all-night target during November — especially in the late evening, when it will be highest, and will appear most clearly in a backyard telescope or binoculars.
On opposition night Uranus will be closest to Earth for this year — at a distance of 1.73 billion miles, 2.79 billion km, or 155 light-minutes. Uranus' minimum distance from Earth will boost its brightness to magnitude 5.62. It will also appear slightly larger — showing a 3.8 arc-seconds-wide disk in telescopes for a week or so centered on opposition night.
All month long, Uranus' small, blue-green dot will be moving slowly retrograde westwards through southeastern Aries — led across the night sky by far brighter Jupiter, which will gleam 12 degrees to its upper right (or celestial east) every evening. Moreover, the bright Pleiades Cluster will be positioned a fist's width to Uranus' left (or 10 degrees to its northeast). On Nov. 25 the very bright, nearly full moon will shine five degrees to the right (or celestial WSW) of Uranus.
Neptune
During November the distant planet Neptune will be observable during the evening as a blue, magnitude 7.8 speck among the stars near the Pisces-Aquarius border — below both the Great Square of Pegasus and the circle of stars that forms the western fish.
Neptune's westerly motion will be slowing as it readies to complete its retrograde loop next month. The planet will be easiest to see while it is highest in the sky during early evening. Much brighter Saturn will be shining about 24 degrees to Neptune's lower right (or celestial west). In a telescope, Neptune's tiny apparent disk will span 2.3 arc-seconds, but larger telescopes can also show Neptune's large moon Triton. The bright, waxing gibbous moon will hop past Neptune on Nov. 21-22.
Skywatching terms
Gibbous: Used to describe a planet or moon that is more than 50% illuminated.
Asterism: A noteworthy or striking pattern of stars within a larger constellation.
Degrees (measuring the sky): The sky is 360 degrees all the way around, which means roughly 180 degrees from horizon to horizon. It's easy to measure distances between objects: Your fist on an outstretched arm covers about 10 degrees of sky, while a finger covers about one degree.
Visual Magnitude: This is the astronomer's scale for measuring the brightness of objects in the sky. The dimmest object visible in the night sky under perfectly dark conditions is about magnitude 6.5. Brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. The brightest objects get negative numbers. Venus can be as bright as magnitude minus 4.9. The full moon is minus 12.7 and the sun is minus 26.8.
Terminator: The boundary on the moon between sunlight and shadow.
Zenith: The point in the sky directly overhead.
Night sky observing tips
Adjust to the dark: If you wish to observe fainter objects, such as meteors, dim stars, nebulas, and galaxies, give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Avoid looking at your phone's bright screen by keeping it tucked away. If you must use it, set the brightness to minimum — or cover it with clingy red film.
Light Pollution: Even from a big city, one can see the moon, a handful of bright stars, and the brightest planets - if they are above the horizon. But to fully enjoy the heavens — especially a meteor shower, the fainter constellations, or to see the amazing swath across the sky that is the disk of our home galaxy, the Milky Way — rural areas are best for night sky viewing. If you're stuck in a city or suburban area, use a tree or dark building to block ambient light (or moonlight) and help reveal fainter sky objects. If you're in the suburbs, simply turning off outdoor lights can help.
Prepare for skywatching: If you plan to be outside for more than a few minutes, and it's not a warm summer evening, dress more warmly than you think is necessary. An hour of winter observing can chill you to the bone. For meteor showers, a blanket or lounge chair will prove to be much more comfortable than standing, or sitting in a chair and craning your neck to see overhead.
Daytime skywatching: On the days surrounding first quarter, the moon is visible in the afternoon daytime sky. At last quarter, the moon rises before sunrise and lingers into the morning daytime sky. When Venus is at a significant angle away from the sun it can often be spotted during the day as a brilliant point of light - but you'll need to consult an astronomy app to know when and where to look for it. When large sunspots develop on the sun, they can be seen without a telescope — as long as you use proper solar filters, such as eclipse glasses. Permanent eye damage can occur if you look at the sun for any length of time without protective eyewear.
