If you love gazing up at the night sky, November is your month before we call it a wrap for 2025. The universe is ready to put on a spectacular celestial show—from meteor showers to rare planetary alignments—so, as the song goes, “watch it shine!”
The action kicks off with the Taurid meteor shower – known for the bright fireballs that light up the sky. Then comes the Leonid meteor shower in mid-November, peaking around the 17th-18th. November and promises a dazzling shower of shooting stars.
In addition to glowing fireballs and meteor showers, the planets also have something in store. Uranus takes center stage on November 17 at opposition – its closest and brightest point of the year – making it the perfect time to capture the distant ice giant with binoculars. Meanwhile, Jupiter and Saturn continue to shine in the evening sky, offering crystal clear views throughout the month.
Celestial calendar for November 2025
Sky watchers, here’s your cheat sheet for all celestial events:
Meteor showers
- Southern Taurides (November 4-5): This swarm, which peaks on November 4-5 November, produces slow-moving bright meteors at a rate of up to 7 meteors per hour. It’s a good time to watch fireballs.
- Northern Taurides (November 11-12): Fewer meteors, but expect brilliant fireballs.
- Leonidas (November 17-18): Fast, bright streaks – up to 15 meteors per hour.
- Alpha monocerotids (November 21): Rare but spectacular explosions – sometimes over 1,000 per hour
- November Orionids (November 28): The Orinoids peak on November 28, producing faint meteors at a rate of about 3 meteors per hour.
Full Beaver Supermoon
The biggest and brightest full moon of the year, the “Beaver Moon,” will light up the night sky on Wednesday, November 5. It reaches its maximum brightness at 8:19 AM EST, appearing about 8% larger and 16% brighter than average.
In parts like New York City, Beaver Moon has already been spotted shining behind the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings.
“Beaver Moon” is a very old name and has its own history. Many people believe the term comes from Native American traditions where beaver traps were set before the rivers froze over in the winter. Others say it reflects the season when beavers are building their dams and preparing for the cold months ahead.
Planetary alignment
highest point of Mercury –Mercury is set to reach its highest point in the night sky, making the planet visible after sunset.
The pair of Venus and Mercury – You can catch these two planets shining close to each other on November 25th
Uranus in opposition – On November 21, Uranus will be at its closest point to Earth, visible all night, and shining faintly near the Pleiades in Taurus.
Crossing the plane of Saturn’s rings- November 23 — The planet’s iconic rings will reportedly all but disappear as Earth settles with them.
