Night sky guide

November 2026

OctNovDec

New moon

Nov 9

Beaver Moon

Nov 24

Dark-sky window

Nov 5 - Nov 13

excellent moon conditions

Best first target

M42

Preview · City-friendly

Monthly anchors

TaurusOrion rising

November 2026

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

Meteor Showers

Orionids
Peak: Nov 21
Leonids
Peak: Nov 17
Southern Taurids
Peak: Nov 10
Northern Taurids
Peak: Nov 12

Targets

Ordered for this month's Munich guide view.

Orion Nebula
Image: Local guide image

Orion Nebula

M42

Emission Nebula

easy
PreviewCity-friendlyOrionNaked eyeMag 41,344 ly

Active stellar nursery where new stars are being born right now — the closest large star-forming region to Earth.

Find it

Find Orion's Belt — three bright stars in a row, unmistakable in the winter sky. Drop your gaze straight down about one fist-width to find the 'sword' hanging below the belt. M42 is the fuzzy middle 'star' of the sword — it looks distinctly non-stellar even to the naked eye.

Pleiades star cluster
Image: Local guide image

Pleiades

M45

Open Cluster

easy
PreviewCity-friendlyTaurusNaked eyeMag 1.6444 ly

The nearest and most famous star cluster, known since prehistory. A true family of stars born together about 100 million years ago.

Find it

Look high in the east-southeast on December evenings. Find the bright orange star Aldebaran (the Bull's eye), then continue in the same direction — the Pleiades are the unmistakable fuzzy cluster about 15° northwest. They look like a tiny dipper shape or a small cloud of stars.

Crab Nebula mosaic
Image: Local guide image

Crab Nebula

M1

Supernova Remnant

moderate
PreviewCity-friendlyTaurusBinocularsMag 8.46,500 ly

The expanding debris from a star that exploded in 1054 AD — witnessed and recorded by Chinese and other astronomers almost 1,000 years ago.

Find it

M1 is not visible to the naked eye. Locate it by finding Zeta Tauri — the star marking the tip of Taurus's southern horn. M1 lies just 1° northwest of this star.

Seasonal constellations

Taurus

2 targets

December
PleiadesCrab Nebula

On the shoulder of Taurus the Bull

Orion

1 target

January
Orion Nebula

In Orion's Sword, below the Belt

Meteor showers

Orionids

Peak: October 21-22

20

meteors/hr

The autumn counterpart to the Eta Aquariids - both come from Halley's Comet. Orionids are very fast meteors with many bright examples and persistent trains. The broad peak allows good viewing over several nights.

Best viewing

After midnight until dawn

Orion rises late evening - best rates in pre-dawn hours

Photo notes

Fast meteors mean bright trails. Point toward Orion after midnight.

Leonids

Peak: November 17-18

15

meteors/hr

Usually modest, the Leonids are famous for occasional spectacular meteor storms - the 1833 storm (100,000+ per hour) helped establish meteors as astronomical phenomena. The next potential storm isn't expected until the late 2030s. Even in normal years, Leonids are among the fastest meteors visible.

Best viewing

After midnight until dawn

Leo rises around midnight in mid-November

Photo notes

Very fast meteors create short, bright trails. May need shorter exposures.

Southern Taurids

Peak: October 10-11

5

meteors/hr

Part of the Taurid Complex, a broad stream of debris from Comet Encke. While rates are low, the Southern Taurids are famous for producing bright fireballs and bolides. The extended activity period means Taurid fireballs can appear throughout October and November.

Best viewing

After midnight

Taurus rises in late evening; best after midnight

Photo notes

Long activity period allows many photography opportunities. Watch for bright fireballs.

Northern Taurids

Peak: November 12-13

5

meteors/hr

The northern branch of the Taurid Complex. Like the Southern Taurids, rates are low but fireballs are common. Some years show enhanced activity ('Taurid swarm years') with increased fireball rates. The slow-moving meteors are easy to spot and photograph.

Best viewing

After midnight

Taurus is well-placed all night in November

Photo notes

Slow meteors ideal for photography. November nights offer long darkness hours.