From a big supermoon to rare planetary close-ups and breathtaking meteor activity, November 2025 is sure to be an amazing month filled with celestial events. Mercury’s spectacular evening apparition marks the beginning of November, which is followed by three meteor showers. The year’s largest full moon, ‘beaver moon,’ occurs early in the month, and a later ‘micro’ new moon provides perfect darkness for constellations that are more difficult to see, like Taurus and Orion.Here are 10 night-sky phenomena to mark on your stargazing checklist.Mercury reaches its highest altitude in the evening (November 1–2)
Mercury makes an exceptionally high ascent in the evening sky at the beginning of the month, providing one of the biggest opportunities this year to witness the small, elusive planet without a telescope. Depending on where you are, Mercury will appear higher in the night sky the closer you are to the equator; while at high latitudes, Mercury may not be visible at all.Southern Taurids peak (November 4–5)There are usually only five meteors per hour, but 2025 is expected to be a ‘fireball-swarm’ year with several exceptionally bright meteors that will light up the night. The first peak of the Southern Taurid Meteor Shower occurs in mid-October, and the second peak occurs in early November. The evening of November 4 until the early hours of November 5 is the ideal time to explore.Super ‘Beaver Moon’ full moon (November 4–5)The November 5 full moon is the largest full moon of the year and a true ‘supermoon’ when it reaches its brightest point. Historically referred to as the ‘Beaver Moon,’ it is when beavers construct dam defences and cautiously invite sky observers outside. It is also a ‘supermoon,’ which happens when the moon’s perigee occurs together with the full moon.Moon meets the Pleiades (November 6)Skywatchers will have a great opportunity to take pictures of the Moon passing less than a degree away from the Pleiades star cluster, also referred to as the Seven Sisters, on the night following the full moon. More than 1,000 hot, young stars make up the Pleiades star cluster, also known as Messier 45.
Northern Taurids peak (November 11–12)Following the Southern Taurids, the American Meteorological Society predicts that the Northern Taurids, the month’s second meteor shower, will peak on the evening of November 11 and into the morning of November 12. However, the likelihood of brilliant fireballs increases when the two showers overlap, as they will in 2025.Leonids peak (November 17–18)The Leonid Meteor Shower is predicted to peak overnight on November 17 and 18, as Earth moves through Comet Tempel-Tuttle debris. The sky will appear dark because of the fading crescent moon, which makes it easier to view the meteor track. The Leonids are known for their spectacular shooting star displays under the right circumstances.Micro new moon (November 20)The new moon on November 20 is a ‘micro’ new moon that practically disappears from the night sky since it falls close to lunar apogee, the Moon’s furthest point from Earth. The night provides the ideal darkness for observing faint deep-sky objects such as star clusters, nebulae, and distant galaxies, with the naked eye, binoculars, or a backyard telescope.Uranus at opposition (November 21)The brightest day of the year is November 21, when Uranus, the farthest planet in our solar system, is directly opposite the Sun. Appearing to be a star with brightness at magnitude +5.6, Uranus can be seen using binoculars in the constellation Aries.Hyades in prime view (November 27)The Hyades star cluster reaches its highest point in the sky around midnight (for northern latitudes) in late November. This V-shaped cluster of stars, which makes up the bull’s face, is situated in the constellation Taurus, only 150 light-years away from Earth.Return of Northern Hemisphere winter/Southern Hemisphere summer constellationsAs November progresses, winter constellations will emerge for watchers in the Northern Hemisphere, while summer constellations will emerge for those in the Southern Hemisphere. Captivating skies are created throughout the month as famous patterns like Orion and Taurus come into view.
