November Night Sky Brings Meteor Showers, Planets, and Voyager 1 Milestone

The month of November brings several notable events for skywatchers, including multiple meteor showers, a planetary meetup, and a series of supermoons. Far beyond the solar system, a historic spacecraft is also reaching a major distance milestone.

Meteor Showers and Planetary Pairings

Three meteor showers offer chances to spot shooting stars during the month. The Southern Taurids and Northern Taurids peak during the first half of November. While neither shower produces large numbers of meteors, both are known for occasionally generating very bright fireballs. Later in the month, the Leonids offer another viewing opportunity during the early morning hours, with higher rates of meteors under dark skies.

Before sunrise in the middle of the month, Mars and Jupiter will appear very close together in the southeastern sky. The two planets will be separated by a small angle and will be easily visible without any telescopes or binoculars. Although they look close from Earth, they remain separated by vast distances in space.

Supermoons and Voyager 1

A full supermoon will rise on November 24, marking the beginning of a sequence of three consecutive supermoons stretching into January. A supermoon happens when a full Moon coincides with the point in its orbit where it is closer to Earth, making it appear slightly larger and brighter than usual.

Meanwhile, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is reaching a distance of one light-day from Earth. This means radio signals sent from our planet now take an entire day to reach the probe, and a return message takes another day. The milestone highlights the immense distance the spacecraft has traveled since its launch.