Stargazing Calendar for November 2024
Get ready to look up—November 2024 is packed with stargazing events that promise a feast for astronomy enthusiasts. From close encounters between planets and the Moon to dazzling meteor showers and a comet passing near the Sun, this month has something for every stargazer. Whether you’re a seasoned observer or just curious about the night sky, there’s plenty to watch for.
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List of Meteor Showers in November 2024
- Southern Taurids: Start on September 10; peak on October 10; end on November 20.
- Orionids: Start on October 2; peak on October 22; end on November 7.
- Northern Taurids: Start on October 20; peak on November 12; end on December 10.
- Leonids: Start on November 6; peak on November 17; end on November 30.
- α-Monocerotids: Start on November 15; peak on November 21; end on November 25.
- November Orionids: Start on November 13; peak on November 28; end on December 6.
- Phoenicids: Start on November 28; peak on December 2; end on December 9.
We also have a complete list of meteor showers for the entire year of 2024 here.
List of Planetary Conjunctions in November 2024
- Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury in Scorpius on November 3.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Venus in Ophiuchus on November 4.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn in Aquarius on November 10.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter in Taurus on November 17.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Mars in Cancer on November 20.
November 3: Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury
The Moon and Mercury will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 2°06′ of each other.
The two celestial bodies will meet in the constellation of Scorpius. The Moon will be at apparent magnitude -8.8 for and Mercury at -0.3. The Moon will be a 2 days old waxing crescent at 4% and will not interfere much with stargazing this first half of November 2024.
November 4: Conjunction of the Moon and Venus
The Moon and Venus will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 3°06′ of each other.
Around the same time, the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 3°05′ from each other, but not sharing the same right ascension.
Look for the two bodies in the constellation of Ophiuchus. The Moon will be a very thin waxing crescent (14%) at 4 days old and will not interfere much. Despite this, the Moon will still be at apparent magnitude of -10.3, while Venus will be at magnitude -4.0.
November 10: Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn
The Moon and Saturn will reach conjunction passing within 5’18” of each other while sharing the same right ascension.
At around the same time the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 4.7 arcminutes from each other, but not sharing the same right ascension. In some parts of Central and South America this distance will be so close as to lead to a lunar occultation of Saturn, meaning the Moon will pass in front of Saturn thereby hiding it from view temporarily.
The Moon will be at apparent magnitude -12.4 and Saturn at magnitude 0.7 both in the constellation of Aquarius. The Moon will be 10 days old waxing gibbous at 75%.
November 12: Northern Taurid meteor shower peak
The Northern Taurids will peak with a zenithal hourly rate of 5. The Moon will be a 11 days old waxing crescent at 86%.
Some meteors may also be spotted between October 20 and December 10. They will radiate from the constellation of Taurus at the speed of 29 km/s on average.
November 13: Asteroid 11 Parthenope at opposition
The asteroid 11 Parthenope will be at opposition at around midnight local time. It will reach the highest point in the sky and opposite to the Sun.
At the same time, Parthenope will reach its closest point to Earth (perigee) at 1.445 AU, reaching a peak brightness of apparent magnitude 9.8. Look in the constellation of Taurus with at least a 4 inch telescope. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the Northern Taurid meteor shower peak on November 12.) The Moon will be a 12 days old waxing crescent at 97%.
November 15: Saturn ends retrograde motion
Saturn will end retrograde motion, which means it will stop traveling westward through the constellations and instead return to the more usual eastward motion instead. All of the outer planets in the solar system periodically experience this orientation reversal, which occurs a few months before they reach opposition.
Ancient observers were troubled by retrograde motion because it didn’t fit with their belief in uniform circular orbits around the Earth. The phenomenon is actually due to Earth’s orbit around the Sun, which shifts our perspective and causes planets to appear to move back and forth in the sky while continuing their overall eastward path through the constellations.
Saturn can be spotted in the constellation of Aquarius with an apparent magnitude of 0.7. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of the Moon and Saturn on November 10.)
November 16: Close approach of the Moon and the Pleiades
The Moon and the Pleiades (also known as M45 or Messier 45) will make a close approach, passing within only 8.1 arcminutes of each other.
Both objects will be in the constellation of Taurus with the Moon being at apparent magnitude -12.8; and the Pleiades at 1.3. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the Northern Taurid meteor shower peak on November 12.) The Moon will be 15 days old waning gibbous at 98% only a day after full moon.
November 16: Mercury at greatest eastern elongation
Mercury will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky, making it the best time to view the planet. Look for it low in the western sky just before sunrise. It will be at apparent magnitude -0.3 in the constellation of Ophiuchus. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of the Moon and Venus on November 4.)
The Moon will unfortunately interfere with stargazing for the middle of the month of November 2024. During Mercury’s greatest eastern elongation it will be 15 days old, waning gibbous at 98%.
November 16: Uranus at opposition
Uranus will reach a point opposite to the Sun in the sky, known as an opposition. This will happen around midnight local time, regardless of where in the world you are observing from.
At around the same time Uranus will also reach perigee or closest approach to Earth at a distance of 18.57 AU. This would be the best time to observe the ice giant. (See featured image at the top of the article.)
With an apparent magnitude of 5.6, Uranus can be observed with a standard pair of binoculars. Point them in the Taurus constellation. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the Northern Taurid meteor shower peak on November 12.)
November 17: Leonid meteor shower peak
The Leonids are a medium-sized meteor shower with 15 meteors on average during the peak if conditions are perfect, which unfortunately won’t be the case due to the Moon being 16 days old waning gibbous at 93%.
Although the peak is on November 17, some meteors could also be spotted between November 6 and 30.
The meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation of Leo at the fast average speed of 71 km/s. They originate from debris of the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.
November 17: Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter
The Moon and Jupiter will reach conjunction passing within 5°38′ of each other while sharing the same right ascension.
Around the same time, the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 5°36′ from each other, but not sharing the same right ascension.
The Moon will be at apparent magnitude -12.7 and Jupiter at magnitude -2.8 both in the constellation of Taurus. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the Northern Taurid meteor shower peak on November 12.) The Moon will be 16 days old waning gibbous at 93%.
November 20: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars
The Moon and Mars will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 2°26′ of each other.
Around the same time, the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 2°19′ from each other, but not sharing the same right ascension.
Look for the two bodies in the constellation of Cancer. The Moon will be waning gibbous (66%) at 19 days old. The Moon will be at apparent magnitude of -12.3, while Mars will be at magnitude -0.3.
November 21: α-Monocerotid meteor shower peak
The Alpha Monocerotids are a variable meteor shower. Although the peak is on November 21, some meteors could also be spotted between November 15 and 25.
The meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation of Monoceros at the fast average speed of 65 km/s.
November 27: The Hyades cluster at its highest point in the sky
The Hyades (also known as Caldwell 41, Collinder 50, or Melotte 25) is the nearest open cluster at only 153 light-years away. The cluster of stars will reach its highest point in the sky at around midnight local time.
With an apparent magnitude of 1.0, the Hyades can be seen with the naked eye, but for better results I would recommend at least a pair of standard binoculars. Fortunately the Moon won’t be interfering much with observation because it will be a 26 days old waning crescent at 7%.
The Hyades cluster is a part of the Taurus constellation, of which it forms the head. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the Northern Taurid meteor shower peak on November 12.)
November 28: November Orionid meteor shower peak
The November Orionids are the final meteor shower to peak this month of November. It is a small one with only 3 meteors per hour on average during the peak, with ideal viewing conditions. Fortunately the viewing conditions will be quite close to ideal because the Moon will be a 27 days old waning crescent at 6%.
Some meteors can also be seen between November 13 and December 6, radiating from the constellation of Orion at the average speed of 44 km/s.
November 29: Comet 333P/LINEAR at perihelion
The comet 333P/LINEAR will reach perihelion, meaning it will reach the closest point in its orbit to the Sun at a distance of 1.11 AU. It will have an apparent magnitude of 10.7 according to the BAA Comet Section, so requiring a large telescope. Look in the constellation of Canes Venatici.
Moon Phases in November 2024
As you know, the Moon has a big impact on the visibility of celestial bodies and astronomical events in the night sky. So to help you with stargazing, here’s a calendar of the phases of Moon for this month of November 2024:
Positions of the Planets in November 2024
- Mercury: The closest planet to the Sun can be seen at dawn and dusk travelling across the constellation of Libra. This planet, being the closest to the Sun, will appear to move quickly in the night sky and its position will change in the following weeks.
- Venus: The sister planet can be seen travelling across the constellation of Ophiuchus. Just like Mercury, Venus can only be seen at dawn and dusk.
- Mars: The red planet can be seen in the constellation of Cancer later in the month.
- Jupiter: The gas giant is visible in the constellation of Taurus. Jupiter can easily be spotted with the naked eye, even in highly illuminated cities.
- Saturn: The ringed giant can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation of Aquarius.
- Uranus: The ice giant can be seen in the constellation of Taurus with the use of a telescope.
- Neptune: The blue giant requires a telescope pointed in the constellation of Pisces in order to be seen.
Positions of Dwarf Planets and Large Asteroids in November 2024
- Ceres: The asteroid belt’s lone dwarf planet can be seen in the constellation of Sagittarius with the help of a telescope.
- Vesta: This large asteroid can be seen in the constellation of Virgo with a telescope.
- Pallas: The asteroid can be observed with a telescope in the constellation of Ophiuchus.
- Hygiea: The fourth largest asteroid can be found with a telescope in the constellation of Pisces.
- Pluto: This distant dwarf planet can be found in the constellation of Capricornus with the help of a large telescope.
Major astronomical events next month – December 2024
- December 2: Phoenicid meteor shower peak
- December 6: December φ-Cassiopeid meteor shower peak
- December 7: Puppid-Velid meteor shower peak
- December 7: Jupiter at opposition
- December 8: Monocerotid meteor shower peak
- December 11: σ-Hydrid meteor shower peak
- December 14: Geminid meteor shower peak
- December 14: Asteroid 15 Eunomia at opposition
- December 15: Comae Berenicid meteor shower peak
- December 20: December Leonis Minorid meteor shower peak
- December 21: December solstice
- December 22: Ursid meteor shower peak
Conclusion
November 2024 brings a lineup of exciting stargazing events and astronomical phenomena, from meteor showers to planet conjunctions and comet sightings. With clear skies, this month offers a rare chance to witness the beauty of the cosmos up close. Mark your calendar for these November 2024 astronomy highlights, and don’t miss the chance to deepen your appreciation for the night sky.
To ensure you don’t miss out on any celestial happenings, sign up for our newsletter to receive stargazing calendars and more updates. Happy stargazing!
Sources:
- Planetary ephemerides produced by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
- International Meteor Organization
- British Astronomical Association Comet Section
See also:
- Previous month’s calendar: Stargazing Calendar for October 2024
- Next month’s calendar: Stargazing Calendar for December 2024
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Paul Tomaszewski
Paul Tomaszewski is a science & tech writer as well as a programmer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of CosmoBC. He has a degree in computer science from John Abbott College, a bachelor's degree in technology from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed some business and economics classes at Concordia University in Montreal. While in college he was the vice-president of the Astronomy Club. In his spare time he is an amateur astronomer and enjoys reading or watching science-fiction. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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