November 4-12: Taurid fireballs
The Taurids are a low-rate meteor shower, but they’re famous for occasional bright, slow-moving fireballs. In November 2026, the Southern and Northern Taurid branches overlap in early November, making the nights between November 4-12 a good time to watch. Find a dark location with a broad view of the sky and look generally toward Taurus, the constellation from which the meteors appear to radiate. You don’t need to stare directly at Taurus: fireballs can streak across a wide area of sky. The Moon should be relatively unobtrusive around the new-moon period, improving the view of fainter meteors.
The Southern and Northern Taurids both derive from components of Comet Encke, which has the shortest orbit around the sun of any major comet in our solar system at a little more than three years. Every time Encke passes Earth in its orbit, it leaves a new trail of debris, making it a large producer of meteoroids. This trail is so large it takes our planet several weeks to pass through the meteor shower.
Image courtesy of Space.com
November 17-18: Leonid meteors
The Leonids are expected to peak around the night of November 17–18. They’re usually a modest shower, with around 10–15 meteors per hour possible under ideal dark-sky conditions, though actual rates vary. The meteors appear to radiate from Leo, which rises later at night, so the hours before dawn are generally best. A first-quarter Moon may wash out some faint streaks early in the evening; try watching after it sets. Get away from bright lights, let your eyes adjust for about 20–30 minutes, and watch a wide patch of sky. The meteors are visible without binoculars or a telescope.
Image courtesy of JPL
November 25: Uranus at opposition
Uranus reaches opposition on November 25, meaning Earth lies roughly between it and the Sun. Around opposition, Uranus is at its brightest for the year and is above the horizon for much of the night—an especially convenient time to try spotting it. It is near the limit of naked-eye visibility even under very dark skies, so binoculars or a small telescope are more reliable. Uranus looks like a tiny, pale blue-green point rather than a dramatic disk through ordinary binoculars. Use a current sky chart to locate it among the background stars, and observe from a dark site for the best chance.
Image courtesy of Stellarium
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