Look up! Taurid fireballs and the Perigee Supermoon shine in November
A trio of meteor showers sends flashes of light across our skies this month, and the first week will feature the largest and brightest Full Moon of 2025.
Eyes to the sky throughout November to potentially spot an alien comet, see the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2025, as well as fireballs from the Taurid swarm streaking across the night sky.
Here is the Astronomical Guide for November 2025:
The astronomical events for November 2025, including the phases of the Moon, planet-moon conjunctions, meteor showers, and the appearance of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. (Scott Sutherland, moon graphics from NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio, conjunctions courtesy Stellarium)
Visit our Complete Guide to Fall 2025 for an in depth look at the Fall Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more!
The Moon
We will be greeted by the Waxing Gibbous Moon during the first few nights of November, with the Full Moon rising on the night of November 4-5.
(NASA SVS/Scott Sutherland)
This will be 2025's Beaver Moon, but most remarkably, it will be the Perigee Supermoon — the closest, largest, and brightest Full Moon of the year.
We will see a Waning Gibbous Moon in the sky from the 6th through the 11th, the Last Quarter Moon on the night of the 12th, and the Waning Crescent Moon will be in the eastern sky in the hours before dawn from the 13th through the 19th.
The three supermoons of Fall 2025. (NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Scott Sutherland)
The New Moon occurs on the 20th, making that the best night of the month for stargazing.
The Waxing Crescent Moon will be in the western sky just after sunset from the 21st through the 27th, with the First Quarter Moon occurring on the 28th, and we will finish off the month with a Waxing Gibbous Moon in the sky on the 29th and 30th.
READ MORE: Why are supermoons so compelling to us?
Comet 3I/ATLAS
Want to spot an alien visitor to our solar system?
Despite the hype and AI-generated fantasy images circulating around the internet, 3I/ATLAS is not an alien spacecraft. Instead, it is most certainly a natural comet, composed of frozen gases, water ice, and some rocky bits.
Comet 3I/ATLAS as imaged by the Gemini South observatory in Chile, on August 27, 2025. (International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Shadow the Scientist, Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab))
However, that shouldn't diminish our excitement! After all, this comet originated from some distant unknown star, which is potentially much, much older than our own solar system. That, alone, makes it an amazing discovery! It gives us the opportunity to catch just a glimpse at the conditions in some alien star system that we'll likely never be able to visit, ourselves.
3I/ATLAS disappeared from our skies in early October, lost in the glare of daylight as it swung around the opposite side of the Sun from us. It has since been captured by spacecraft orbiting Mars, and cameras observing space weather from the Sun. We are now waiting for it to reappear in Earth-based telescopes in late October and early November.
Based on simulations from planetarium software, such as Stellarium, the comet should have popped up in the predawn sky on October 30. Afterwards, the comet will climb higher in the sky each morning.
The location of 3I/ATLAS in the eastern predawn sky from Oct. 30 through Nov. 7, 2025, when it should be at its brightest, as seen from Earth. The first three panels show its position at 6:45 a.m. local time, while the remaining panels are at 5:45 a.m. local time, due to the end of daylight saving time. The planet Venus will be nearby on these mornings, providing an excellent marker to help locate the dim comet. (Stellarium/Scott Sutherland)
Original estimates had the comet reaching magnitude 15 at its brightest. That's just barely within the resolution limits of the largest backyard telescopes. However, recent indications are that it has brightened significantly. Conservative estimates now put it up to around magnitude 11, but it could be even brighter!
Note: The magnitudes mentioned here represent an object's brightness, where the lower the number is, the brighter the object. For example, the Sun's magnitude is -27, while a Perigee Supermoon is -13, Venus tops out at around -5, Sirius, the brightest star, is -1, and the stars we see in the night sky, without the help of binoculars or a telescope, range down to magnitudes of around +5. A good pair of astronomy binoculars can help with spotting objects down to around magnitude +10, while a 6" to 8" telescope can resolve down to around magnitude +14.
So, even at its brightest 3I/ATLAS will probably be too dim to see with the unaided eye. However, it might be visible through binoculars, and it seems that most backyard telescopes should be good enough to resolve it, provided that the observer is under clear, dark skies, far from major sources of light pollution.
DON'T MISS: Alien comet 3I/ATLAS just swept past Mars. When will it return to our skies?
The Planets
Right at the start of the month, there are five planets visible in our night skies — Mercury, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and Jupiter. This month is also an excellent time to spot the planet Uranus.
On the night of the 1st, turn your gaze to the west, just after the Sun has slipped below the horizon. If you look very closely, you might spot the planets Mercury and Mars attempting to blend in with the evening twilight. A pair of binoculars or a telescope will help to pick them out.
Mercury and Mars hang just above the southwest horizon, after sunset, on November 1, while later that night, Saturn can be found to the south, near the Moon. (Stellarium/Scott Sutherland)
A few hours later, on that same night, you can find Saturn very close to the Waxing Gibbous Moon. Just look due south at around 10 p.m., local time, to find them hanging out together.
Mars and Mercury can be found in that same region of the sky throughout early November, but will quickly be lost in the glare of the Sun. Saturn, on the other hand, will shine in the sky every night throughout the month, hanging out between the constellations Pisces, Cetus, and Aquarius. Look for it 'paired up' with the Waxing Gibbous Moon twice this month, on the night of the 1st and again on the 29th.
While Jupiter was strictly an early morning planet throughout the summer, it now rises just before midnight. Find it following along behind the constellation Gemini as they cross the sky together each night. On the 10th, spot it lined up with the bright star Pollux and the Waning Gibbous Moon.
Jupiter shines near the Waning Gibbous Moon and Pollux, on the night of November 10, 2025. (Stellarium/Scott Sutherland)
As for Venus, you'll need to be an early-riser, getting up before sunrise to catch it hanging out above the eastern horizon each morning. With the Sun rising later and later throughout the month, Venus should stay visible, although it will become more challenging into late November, as the planet gets closer and closer to the Sun.
Catch Venus near a very thin Waning Crescent Moon on the morning of the 18th.
An extremely thin Waning Crescent Moon, just two days before the New Moon, points towards Venus in the predawn sky on November 18, 2025 (Stellarium/Scott Sutherland)
Throughout the year, so far, the planet Uranus could be found near the Pleiades star cluster. However, even as it took part in the planetary parade each night, it remained just beyond our ability to see it with the unaided eye.
Now, that's not going to change in November. It will reach its closest distance to Earth on the night of the 20th, though, during Opposition. It's the perfect time to get outside with a pair of binoculars or a telescope to see it.
Uranus can still be found just south of the Pleiades, roughly centered between Jupiter and Saturn, on the night of November 20-21. (Stellarium/Scott Sutherland)
DON'T MISS: What is the mysterious Moon Illusion?
Meteor showers
Four different meteor showers are active during the month of November — the Orionids, the Southern Taurids, the Northern Taurids, and the Leonids.
We see Orionid meteors only for the first week or so, just at the 'tail end' of that shower. Thus, we might only spot one or two meteors per night from that specific part of the sky.
However, the other three meteor showers experience their peaks this month. The first is the Southern Taurids, which peak on the night of the 4th-5th.
The radiant of the Southern Taurid meteor shower in the constellation Taurus, on November 4-5, 2025. (Stellarium/Scott Sutherland)
This is a fairly weak shower, which tends to produce only around 5 meteors per hour, even on the night of the peak. This is further diminished in 2025, due to the peak occurring on the same night as the November Full Moon.
The Northern Taurids peak one week later, on the night of November 11-12. While this branch of the Taurids is just as weak as the southern branch, it will benefit from slightly better sky conditions, as there is only a Waning Gibbous Moon in the sky. Still, only expect a handful of meteors each hour throughout the night.
The radiant of the Northern Taurid meteor shower in the constellation Taurus, on November 11-12, 2025. (Stellarium/Scott Sutherland)
The Southern and Northern Taurids are sometimes called twin meteor showers, as they originate from roughly the same region of the sky, occur at about the same time each year, and peak very close to each other as well. Also, although Comet 2P/Encke is responsible for the Southern branch and asteroid 2004 TG10 produces the Northern branch (according to most sources), astronomers believe that the similarities in the orbits of those two objects indicate that they used to be part of the same large comet, which split apart long ago.
One thing to watch out for this year, especially centred around the peak of the Southern Taurids, is the possibility that we may see the return of the Taurid Swarm — a cluster of larger meteoroids that we encounter every few years, which produce fireballs as they streak through the sky.
The position of the Leonid meteor shower radiant, in the predawn hours on November 17, 2025. (Stellarium/Scott Sutherland)
The Leonids is a weak to moderate meteor shower, which starts in early November, just as the Orionids end, and continues throughout the month.
These days, the Leonids only produce a few meteors per hour each night, except during its peak, in the predawn hours of November 17, when we can see up to 15 meteors per hour.
However, similar to the Draconids, the Leonids have delivered some of the strongest meteor storms in history. The most famous was on the night of November 12–13, 1833, when an estimated 240,000 meteors flashed across the sky in just 9 hours. The next outburst, which could produce over 400 meteors per hour, is predicted to occur in 2033.
MORE FROM SPACE: Fall is the 'season of meteor showers'. Don't miss out!
November Constellations
As Earth travels around in its orbit, a different part of the space around our solar system becomes visible to us each time the Sun sets. The difference is subtle on a night-by-night basis, but over the course of a month, entire constellations can disappear or reappear in our sky.
In November, the Fall constellations continue to feature prominently.
The constellations visible in the morning and evening skies on November 1, 2025. The difference in sky brightness between the 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. views is due to the light of the Waxing Gibbous Moon (between the constellations of Pisces and Aquarius on that night). (Stellarium/Scott Sutherland)
Each morning, strung across the southern predawn sky from east to west, we can see Leo, Hydra, Cancer, Canis Minor, Gemini, Monoceros (the Unicorn), Canis Major, Orion, Eridanus (the River), Taurus, Cetus (the Whale), and Pisces.
Higher up, Ursa Major (the Big Dipper), Camelopardalis (the Camel), Auriga (the Charioteer), Perseus, and Andromeda will be visible. Meanwhile, to the north, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper), and Draco will be easiest to spot.
In the evening, Taurus, Cetus, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricornus, Aquila (the Eagle), Sagittarius, Ophiuchus (the Serpent-bearer), and Hercules will be lined up from east to west in the south. Auriga, Perseus, Andromeda, Pegasus, Cygnus (the Swan), and Lyra can be seen higher up above that line. In the northern sky, we will still see Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper), and Draco, although their positions will be shifted around the north star, with the Big Dipper low in the sky, almost directly north.
The constellations visible in the morning and evening skies on November 30, 2025. The difference in sky brightness between the 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. views is due to the light of the Waxing Gibbous Moon (in the constellation Pisces on that night).(Stellarium/Scott Sutherland)
By the end of the month, the positions of the constellations will have shifted significantly westward.
In the predawn sky, this will bring Virgo and Boötes into view in the east, while at the same time, Pisces, Cetus, Eridanus, and Andromeda will be gone from the west. Higher up, Ursa Major will swing around into the southern sky, while Camelopardalis, Auriga, and Perseus will shift more to the north. Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Ursa Minor, Draco, and Hercules can still be seen in the northern sky.
For the evening hours, a similar shift in star positions brings Orion and Gemini into view in the eastern sky after sunset, while Ophiuchus and Sagittarius depart from the west. Higher up, Auriga, Perseus, and Andromeda, will have shifted more to the south, while Pegasus, Lyra, and Cygnus will be more northerly. Draco, Ursa Minor, and Ursa Major are the most prominent constellations in the northern sky at this time.