This month features another well-known meteor shower, the Leonids, which will peak on the morning of November 17th. The Moon will be three days past new and will not pose a problem for viewing the meteors. The peak of the shower will begin around 1 a.m. local time and continues until dawn. The Leonids are the result of debris shed from comet Tempel-Tuttle. While you can only expect 10 to 15 meteors per hour, the Leonids are famous for rare but spectacular outbursts. Several years ago, I witnessed a meteor that left a persistent bright trail from horizon to horizon.

Saturn and Jupiter continue to rule the night sky. Try to catch Saturn and the Moon in the predawn hours of the 2nd in the west as the pair approaches setting. At that point the pair will be less than 3 degrees apart. Jupiter continues its climb into the night sky. Shining at magnitude -2.4 Jupiter has a nice encounter with the Moon on the 10th.

Venus continues to dominate the early morning sky, shining at magnitude -3.9 while it seems to hover above the eastern horizon for most of the month. It is joined by Mercury, making an appearance mid-month. Shining at magnitude +2.0, it can be found just below Venus on the 18th. Later in the month, on the 25th, the pair switch positions, with Mercury rising just above Venus. Two things to take into account. Because of the differences in their magnitudes and positions very close to the horizon, viewing conditions will be tricky. Binoculars my help but also be aware of atmospheric haze.

The Moon will be full on the 5th, last quarter on the 12th, new on the 20th, and first quarter on the 28th. Looking high in the Southeastern Sky on the 1st, about an hour after sunset, the waxing gibbous Moon will be about 5 degrees from Saturn. Looking West on the 10th, high in the sky about an hour before sunrise, the waning gibbous moon will be just above and to the left of Jupiter. Looking Southeast on the 18th, about a half-hour before sunrise, the very thin waning crescent Moon will be to the left of brilliant Venus. Looking high in the Southeast on the 29th, one hour after sunset, the first quarter Moon will be left and a bit above Saturn.

Sunday, November 2nd at 2 a.m., Daylight Savings Time ends for most of us in North America. Remember to set your clocks and watches back one hour.

The first Saturday star party will be held on Saturday, November 1, at the Etscorn Campus Observatory. To reach the observatory, take Canyon Drive past the golf course. At the stop sign, turn right on Buck Wolfe Drive. At the top of the dip in the road, turn left and follow the signs to the observatory.

Clear Skies!

Jon Spargo

New Mexico Tech Astronomy Club

November 2025