What's up in the night sky this November? (2023)What to see in Novembers night sky including Moon phases, a total lunar eclipse, planet guide, Taurid and Leonid meteor showers and deep space objects in Orion, the great nebula as well as M78, horsehead and flame nebulas.
November Moon Phases
November's full Moon is called the Frost moon, as this is typically when the first frosts of the year appear. Other names include the beaver moon.
Full Moon and New Moon for October 2023
October 2023 Last QuarterSat 7th Oct
October 2023 New MoonSun 15th Oct
October 2023 First QuarterSun 22nd Oct
October 2023 Full MoonSun 29th Oct
Notable Events in November
A total lunar eclipse from eastern Russia, Japan, Australia, the Pacific Ocean, and parts of western and central North America will be visible. A total lunar eclipse is when the Moon passes completely through the Earth's dark shadow or umbra. During this eclipse, the Moon will gradually get darker and then become rusty or blood-red. NASA Map and Eclipse Information.
November Planets
On November 9th, there will be a rare daytime occultation of Venus by the Moon. Venus will disappear behind the Moon at 09:43 UT and reappear at 10:40 UT.
Jupiter is a splendid object visible in the southern sky as soon as darkness falls, and this year, it reaches opposition on November 3rd. Using higher magnifications, you will see the yellowish-flattened disc and the four Galilean satellites. You should be able to follow the movement of these moons from night to night. It will be visible in the mornings from January to May, evenings from May to November, and mornings from mid-December to the end of December.
Saturn is visible in the mornings from late January to early July and then in the evenings from July to December.
November Meteor Showers
The Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is unusual in that it consists of two separate streams. The first is produced by dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10. The second stream is produced by debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke. The shower runs annually from September 7th to December 10th. It peaks this year on the night of November 4th. This year, the quarter moon will block out some meteors, but if you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few good ones. The best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus but can appear anywhere in the sky.
The Leonids is an average shower, producing an average of up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak. This shower is unique in its cyclonic peak about every 33 years, where hundreds of meteors per hour can be seen. The last of these occurred in 2001. The Leonids are produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, discovered in 1865. The shower runs annually from November 6-30. It peaks this year on the night of the 17th and the morning of the 18th. The crescent Moon will set before midnight, leaving dark skies. The best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo but can appear anywhere in the sky.
November Deep Space Objects
The Orion Nebula (M42 and M43) are prime targets in winter, hanging in the southeastern sky. They are easy to locate as they form the sword hanging from Orion's Belt.
M78 is a reflection of Nebula in Orion, which is often overlooked. M78 is the brightest diffuse reflection nebula in the sky. The nebula can easily be seen in large binoculars and small telescopes, showing a hazy, comet-like patch of light with two 10th-magnitude stars illuminating it. 4-inch telescopes will sometimes reveal the haze around M78 and also show the nearby reflection nebula NGC 2071 under good conditions. 8-inch telescopes begin to show the details of M78.
The nebula is easy to find as it is only about 2 degrees north of Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion's Belt.
Alnitak has two other prominent nebulae associated with it - the Horsehead Nebula and the Flame Nebula. M78 is a bit further away from the star than these two.
The horsehead nebula sits just east of NGC 2023 towards the double star Sigma Orionis and the flame nebula west of Alnitak.
