The week begins under the cover of a new moon on Monday, November 9, delivering pitch-black skies that are perfect for stargazing enthusiasts. Early Tuesday morning before dawn, the dazzling planet Venus—currently reigning as the Morning Star—makes an ultra-close approach to Spica, the premier star in the constellation Virgo, with a mere 0.1 degrees separating them. As the week progresses, the Northern Taurid meteor shower peaks on Thursday, bringing prospects of leisurely meteors and striking fireballs. Meanwhile, a major planetary convergence unfolds in the morning sky as Mars steadily narrows the gap toward the much more luminous Jupiter. By Sunday morning, both celestial bodies will position themselves nearly shoulder-to-shoulder ahead of their official conjunction the following week. Here is your complete weekly itinerary for celestial observation from November 9 through November 15.

Daily Astronomical Highlights

  • Monday, Nov. 9 (New Moon): The lunar cycle resets precisely at 2:02 a.m. EST as the moon positions itself squarely between Earth and the sun, rendering it entirely unseen. Tonight offers prime conditions to scan returning winter constellations, tracking the V-shaped Hyades star cluster and neighboring Pleiades within Taurus, while Auriga and its luminous anchor Capella climb higher. Orion makes its grand entrance later in the evening, displaying Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, and the blue-white beacon Rigel.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 10 (Venus Meets Spica): Roughly sixty minutes before sunrise, gaze toward the east-southeast horizon to catch an exceptionally tight conjunction between brilliant Venus and Virgo's Spica. To the unaided eye, the two will look as though they are touching, despite being completely unrelated bodies separated by vast cosmic distances.
  • Thursday, Nov. 12 (Northern Taurid Peak): While yielding modest overall counts, the Taurids hold a reputation for occasionally generating slow-moving, intensely brilliant fireballs that can streak across any region of the overhead sky.
  • Friday, Nov. 13 (Crescent Moon & Earthshine): Direct your gaze toward the southwest during dusk to observe a 17%-illuminated waxing crescent moon. The lunar disc should prominently showcase Earthshine—sunlight reflected off Earth's cloud layers, oceans, and ice sheets onto the darkened portion of the moon, best viewed right after sundown.
  • Sunday, Nov. 15 (Mars Closes On Jupiter): About an hour prior to sunrise, look eastward for a sneak peek at the impending Mars-Jupiter alignment. Glowing brightly within the Leo constellation alongside Regulus, the reddish hue of Mars and the golden brilliance of Jupiter will appear almost side-by-side.

Throughout any clear night this month, look roughly halfway up the eastern sky to spot the Pleiades. Frequently dubbed the Seven Sisters, this compact assembly of blue-white stars sits in Taurus and mimics a miniature Big Dipper. Under dark skies with sharp vision, observers typically pick out seven distinct stars, though six are easily visible. Positioned below and to the left rests the orange-red giant Aldebaran, nestled inside the expansive V-shaped Hyades cluster.

Constellation Of The Week: Auriga

Hovering high above Taurus lies the constellation Auriga, anchored by Capella, one of the most radiant and slightly golden-hued stars in the northern hemisphere. Capella is actually an intricate quadruple-star system situated roughly 43 light-years away, formed by two sets of binary stars orbiting one another. The remaining stars of Auriga trace a broad pentagon pattern around Capella. While subtle at first glance, it serves as a dependable navigational landmark once recognized. Furthermore, Auriga houses notable open star clusters like M36, M37, and M38, though spotting them requires binoculars.

Looking Ahead In The Night Sky

We are firmly entrenched in meteor season, with the Leonids slated to peak on the night of November 17 through 18, capable of delivering swift, bright shooting stars despite modest frequency rates. Shortly after, on November 21, Mercury achieves its greatest western elongation, presenting a fleeting window to spot the inner planet low in the eastern horizon prior to sunrise. The calendar month then caps off with a full supermoon on November 24, appearing noticeably larger and more luminous than standard full moons.

Please note that these scheduled times and dates are calibrated for mid-northern latitudes. For hyper-local accuracy and precise positional data, utilize digital planetariums such as Stellarium.