NASA’s November 2026 sky guide lists two Taurid meteor peaks, a close pairing of Mars and Jupiter, the Leonid meteor shower, a Voyager 1 milestone and the first of three consecutive supermoons. This article summarizes NASA’s list, adds Moon phase dates from the same page and explains how to read the dates without overstating what the sky will show.
What is on NASA’s November calendar?
NASA’s guide gives these dates:
- November 5: Southern Taurid meteors peak, with occasional bright fireballs
- November 12: Northern Taurid meteors peak, at about five per hour under ideal conditions
- November 15 and 16: Mars and Jupiter appear about 1.2 degrees apart in the southeast before sunrise, with Jupiter the brighter of the two
- November 17: Voyager 1 reaches one light-day from Earth
- November 17 and 18: Leonid meteors are best in the early morning after the Moon sets, with up to about 15 per hour under ideal conditions
- November 24: the first of three consecutive supermoons, a full Moon that rises in the east around sunset
What are the Moon phases?
The same guide gives these phases: Third Quarter on November 1, New Moon on November 8, First Quarter on November 17, Full Moon (a supermoon) on November 24 and Third Quarter on November 30. Moon phases matter for meteor watching because moonlight washes out faint streaks. NASA says the Leonids are best after the Moon sets, which fits a First Quarter Moon on November 17 that sets around midnight. That link between phase and setting time is a general point and is not stated by NASA.
What are the Taurids?
NASA lists a Southern Taurid peak on November 5 and a Northern Taurid peak on November 12. The guide says the Southern Taurids can produce occasional bright fireballs, and the Northern Taurids reach about five meteors per hour under ideal conditions. By our own arithmetic, the two peaks are seven days apart. The New Moon on November 8 falls between them, which means the sky near the second peak is darker than around the first. That observation is ours and is not a NASA claim.
How close are Mars and Jupiter?
On November 15 and 16, NASA says the two planets appear about 1.2 degrees apart in the southeast before sunrise. For scale, the full Moon is about half a degree across, so the gap is roughly two and a half Moon widths. That comparison is a general astronomy fact and our own arithmetic. The planets only look close from Earth. They are millions of miles apart in space, a general point not taken from NASA’s guide.
What is the Voyager 1 milestone?
NASA’s skywatching guide says Voyager 1 reaches one light-day from Earth on November 17, so a signal’s round trip takes about 48 hours. NASA is inviting people to join its Shine Bright for Voyager’s Light-Day activation. Our dedicated article on Voyager 1 at one light-day uses NASA’s mission-specific timing, which falls in the early hours of the following day in Pacific time. The one-day difference between pages is likely a matter of time zones, but we have not confirmed that, so readers should check NASA for the exact moment.
What is a supermoon?
NASA calls November 24 the first of three consecutive supermoons, with the next two in December and January. A supermoon is a full Moon that occurs when the Moon is closer to Earth than average, which makes it look somewhat larger and brighter. That definition is general and is not quoted from NASA. The guide does not give the Moon’s distance on those dates.
Can it be seen by everyone?
Weather, light pollution and location all affect what you see. Meteor rates in NASA’s guide are ideal-condition figures, not typical ones. The Leonid figure of about 15 per hour and the Northern Taurid figure of about five per hour describe a dark sky with the radiant well placed, so city viewers should expect fewer. This is a general caution consistent with NASA’s wording.
Tips for watching
Meteor watching needs patience more than equipment. Give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the dark, lie back so you can see a wide patch of sky, and avoid looking at a phone screen. Binoculars help with the Mars and Jupiter pairing but are not needed, since both planets are easy to see by eye. These are general suggestions and are not drawn from NASA’s guide.
How does it connect to other sky coverage?
Earlier this year we explained the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026, and our report on the solar maximum covers what NASA and NOAA announced about the Sun. For the human spaceflight context, our article on Artemis II describes the first crewed Moon flyby. Together, they show that the sky offers events of very different kinds, from predictable Moon phases to one-time spacecraft milestones.
Glossary
- Meteor: the streak of light made when a small piece of space debris burns up in the atmosphere
- Fireball: an especially bright meteor
- Conjunction or close pairing: two objects appearing near each other in the sky
- Light-day: the distance light travels in one day
- Supermoon: a full Moon near its closest approach to Earth
These definitions are general explanations and are not quoted from NASA.
What is not covered here?
We have not listed local viewing times, because NASA’s guide gives none, and we do not predict cloud cover. We also leave out the Moon’s exact distance for the supermoon and the Leonid parent comet, which the guide excerpt does not discuss. For viewing times near you, consult a local astronomy source.
Key facts at a glance
- Taurid peaks: November 5 and November 12
- Mars and Jupiter about 1.2 degrees apart: November 15 and 16
- Leonids: November 17 and 18, up to about 15 per hour
- Full Moon supermoon: November 24
- New Moon: November 8
Frequently asked questions
When are the Leonids best?
NASA says November 17 and 18, in the early morning after the Moon sets.
Which planet is brighter on November 15 and 16?
Jupiter is brighter than Mars.
How many supermoons follow?
NASA says November, December and January each have one.
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