Astronomy EssentialsTonight

Visible planets and night sky guide for November

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November 10 evening: Moon, Pollux, Castor and the Beehive

Chart showing a hemisphere, the moon, next to a small circle, representing the Beehive star cluster. Above them lies a large dot, Jupiter and two smaller dots, Castor and Pollux. Below them all is a horizontal wavy line, the horizon.
Late this evening, November 10, the waning gibbous moon will shine near Jupiter and the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. And the moon will also cozy up to the Beehive star cluster, though its bright light will wash out the fainter stars. You can see them through dawn the next morning. Chart via EarthSky.

Read more: The Beehive cluster: A swarm of 1,000 stars

Early November meteors … the Taurids continue

The North Taurids’ predicted peak was at 12 UTC on November 9, 2025. The South Taurids’ predicted peak was November 5. Both the South and North Taurids don’t have very definite peaks. They are especially noticeable from late October into early November, when they overlap.

Read more: All you need to know about the Taurid meteors

Early November evening planets

Curved line of ecliptic with Saturn in the middle and Mars and Mercury at the horizon.
Here’s an overhead chart showing 3 planets in the early to mid-November evening sky as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. Saturn is in the southeast with Mercury and dim Mars very low in the bright southwestern twilight. Saturn is well placed for evening viewing throughout November 2025, and its rings are tilted close to edge-on the second half of the month. Mars is increasingly difficult to spot in the evening twilight and will disappear sometime in early November. Brighter Mercury – now easiest to see from the Southern Hemisphere – will be closest to Mars on the evening of November 12. But they’ll likely be difficult if not impossible to see in bright twilight by then. Mercury’s recent October 29 greatest evening elongation was the best evening apparition of Mercury this year for the Southern Hemisphere. Note that the 3 planets all lie along the ecliptic, the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.

Early November morning planets

Curved green line across the sky with Venus at the horizon at the east end and Jupiter in the middle.
This is the overhead view showing 2 bright planets in the early November morning sky as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. Venus now lies low on the eastern horizon in the morning twilight. It’ll sink closer to the morning sunrise each day until it slips from view later in November. And Jupiter shines high in the sky on early November mornings. Note that the 2 planets lie along the ecliptic, the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.

November 12: Watch for the 3rd quarter moon

The moment of 3rd quarter moon will fall at 5:28 UTC on November 12, 2025. That’s 11:28 p.m. CST on November 11. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

November 12 and 13 mornings: Moon and Regulus

A hemisphere, the moon, is above a dot, the star Regulus on the first morning. On the second, the hemsphere has moved below the dot.
In the early morning hours of November 12 and 13, the 3rd quarter moon will be near the bright star Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Chart via EarthSky.

Read more: Meet Regulus, Leo the Lion’s Heart and brightest star

November 16-17 overnight: Leonid meteor shower

Star chart of constellation Leo with radial arrows indicating source of Leonid meteor shower.
The Leonid meteor shower peak is predicted for 18 UTC on November 17, 2025. Watch late on the night of November 16 until dawn on November 17. The morning of November 18 might be worthwhile, too. Leonids stream from a single point in the sky – their radiant point – in the constellation Leo the Lion. Leo rises just before midnight in mid-November. Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion, dots a backward question mark of stars known as the Sickle.

Read more: All you need to know about Leonid meteors

November 16 and 17 mornings: Moon and Spica

A crescent shape, the moon, is above a dot, the star Spica, on the first morning. On the next, the crescent shape has moved below and next to the dot. They are all above a horizontal wavy line, the horizon.
In the early morning hours of November 16 and 17, the waning crescent moon will hang near the bright star Spica. Do you notice a lovely glow on the unlit side of the moon? That’s earthshine! It’s reflected light from Earth. Chart via EarthSky.

Mid-to-late November evening planets

Sphere chart showing a dot, Jupiter, above the left rim. Above the lower right rim is a smaller dot, Saturn.
This overhead chart shows the location of 2 planets in the mid- to late November evening sky from the Northern Hemisphere. Jupiter is rising in the east, and Saturn is in the southwest. Jupiter will rise earlier each night and be a bright light among the stars of Gemini. Saturn is well placed for evening viewing this month, and its rings are titled almost edge-on. The planets all lie along the path the sun travels in the daytime (the green line on our chart). Chart via EarthSky.

November 20: The most distant new moon of 2025

The moment of new moon will fall at 6:47 UTC on November 21, 2025. That’s 12:47 a.m. CST. New moons rise and set with the sun. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing, and this one is near the peak of the Leonid meteor shower. Plus, this is the second – and farthest – of three new micromoons – or most distant new moons – in 2025. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

November 20: Moon reaches apogee

The moon will reach apogee – its farthest distance from Earth in its elliptical orbit – at 3 UTC on November 20, 2025, when it’s 252,706 miles (406,691 km) away.

November 20: Mercury at inferior conjunction

Chart with ellipses and arrows showing Earth's and Mercury's orbit around the sun. A dot, Mercury, is between a disk, Earth, and a large starred disk, the sun.
Mercury will lie on the near side of the sun, passing just north of it from Earth’s point of view, at 9 UTC on November 20. This point in its orbit is known as inferior conjunction. Because it’s so near the sun, it can’t be seen. Chart via EarthSky.

November 22 and 23 evenings: Moon and the Teapot

A crescent shape, the moon, moves among eight small dots, the "Teapot" of Sagittarius. They are all above a wavy line, the horizon.
Shortly after sunset, on the evenings of November 22 and 23, the thickening waxing crescent moon will move through the Teapot asterism of Sagittarius. You can look for the Teapot once the bright light of the moon has moved on. It sets a little earlier every evening in November. Catch it before it’s gone. Chart via EarthSky.

Read more: Teapot of Sagittarius points to Milky Way Center

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

November 25 and 26 evenings: Moon and Capricornus

A thick crescent shape, the moon, moves among seven small dots, the constellation Capricornus.
On the evenings of November 25 and 26, the waxing crescent moon will move in front of the arrow-shaped pattern of stars of Capricornus. You’ll need a dark sky to spot the stars of Capricornus. Chart via EarthSky.

Read more: Capricornus the Sea-goat has an arrowhead shape

November 28: 1st quarter moon

The moment of 1st quarter moon will fall at 6:59 UTC on November 28, 2025. That’s 12:59 a.m. CST. Did you know you can see an X and V on the 1st quarter moon? Here’s how to see them. A 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight. Watch for a 1st quarter moon high in the sky at sundown.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

November 28 and 29 evenings: Moon and Saturn

A hemisphere, the moon, moves past a dot, Saturn.
The waxing gibbous moon floats near the steady golden light of Saturn on the evenings of November 28 and 29. They’ll set around midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

Read more: Saturn’s rings are weird and wonderful: 10 facts here

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

November stars and constellations

If you’re out stargazing on any November evening, look for these stars and constellations high overhead in the evening sky. Give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness. And consider heading to a dark-sky site for the best views of the stars.

Diagram of constellations Cassiopeia and Perseus with arrow from one to the other and bright stars labeled.
In November, look overhead and northward for the M- (or W-) shaped constellation Cassiopeia the Queen. Then look nearby for the graceful shape of the constellation Perseus and its bright star Mirfak. Plus, Perseus contains the star Algol – known as the Demon Star – because it changes in brightness roughly every 3 days. Chart via EarthSky.
Star chart of constellations Cassiopeia and Andromeda with labeled Andromeda galaxy between them.
Use Cassiopeia to find the Andromeda galaxy, aka M31. But be sure you’re looking in a dark sky. Locate the star Schedar in Cassiopeia. It’s the constellation’s brightest star, and it points to the Andromeda galaxy. Chart via EarthSky.
Star chart: constellation Cassiopeia with an arrow pointing to 2 tiny dotted circles, labeled Perseus Double Cluster.
Cassiopeia can also help you find the Double Cluster in Perseus. It consists of 2 open star clusters near each other on the sky’s dome. The 2 clusters reside in the northern part of the constellation Perseus, quite close to the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen. Just scan that area with your binoculars for 2 glittering groups of stars. The breathtaking Double Cluster will be there.

November evening planets

A dot, Saturn, is alone in the darkness.
Saturn lies in the south in the evening hours of November. It is the brightest object in that part of the sky, other than the passing moon. It reached opposition — when Earth flew between Saturn and the sun — on September 21. Saturn is rising in the east before sunset and sets earlier each night after midnight. Saturn will shine at 1.1 magnitude by month’s end among the stars of Aquarius the Water Bearer. Saturn will remain visible in the evening sky for the rest of 2025. It’ll finally disappear in the sunset glare in February 2026. Chart via EarthSky.
A dot, Mercury, is just above a wavy line, the horizon. To its right is a smaller dot, Mars, and to their far left is another dot, the star Antares.
Around November 1, for observer’s in the Northern Hemisphere, Mercury and Mars lie very low and might be lost in the southwestern twilight. Mercury will be brighter and therefore easier to see than Mars. Plus, the star Antares will also be nearby. But it, too, will be challenging to spot in the twilight. Mars and Mercury soon drop out of the evening sky. Chart via EarthSky.
A dot, Antares, is above a slightly larger dot, Mercury. It in turn is above an even smaller dot, Mars, and moves below it. They are all above the horizontal wavy line of the horizon.
From the Southern Hemisphere, Mercury and Mars lie below Antares in the southwest about 30 minutes after sunset. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will have a better view of the planetary pair. On November 12, Mercury will pass the more difficult to see Mars. A few evenings later, Mercury and Mars will be lost in the bright evening twilight. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

November morning planets

There are three charts. In the first, a starred dot, Venus, lies above a wavy line, the horizon. In the second, the starred dot moves closer to the wavy line of the horizon. In the third, the starred dot, Venus, is at the wavy line. Above them is a small dot, Mercury.
About 30 minutes before sunrise in early November, bright Venus will lie low above the eastern horizon. As the month progresses, the planet drops closer to the horizon, and it’ll become increasingly difficult to spot in the bright morning twilight. By the end of November, it will be lost in the sun’s glare. Mercury – on its way to its greatest distance from the morning sun on December 7 – will climb above Venus by the end of the month. Venus moves from Virgo the Maiden to Libra the Scales in November. Venus will emerge in the evening sky sometime around the beginning of March. Chart via EarthSky.
A dot, Jupiter, is between two smaller dots, the stars Castor and Pollux and another dot, the star Procyon. They all lie above a horizontal wavy line, the horizon.
Bright Jupiter shines high in the east before sunrise all month. And it’ll rise earlier each night and be visible several hours after sunset by month’s end. It’s near the twin stars of Gemini, Castor (the slightly dimmer one) and Pollux (the slightly brighter one) and the bright star Procyon. Chart via EarthSky.
A dot, Mercury, lies immediately above a horizontal wavy line, the horizon.
During the last 2 mornings of November for viewers in the Northern Hemisphere, Mercury will lie very low in the bright morning twilight about 30 minutes before sunrise. The little planet will be difficult to spot. It will be very low for viewers in the Southern Hemisphere, too. It’ll reach its greatest distance from the morning sun on December 7. Chart via EarthSky.

Sky dome map for visible planets and night sky

Circle constellations, planets, the moon, the Milky Way and celestial lines.
Here is the sky dome view for November 2025. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell’s 2025 Astronomical Calendar.

Read more: Guy Ottewell explains sky dome maps.

Heliocentric solar system visible planets and more

Circle with sun at center, planets around, and zodiac names on outer edge.
Heliocentric view of solar system, November 2025. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2025 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission. Plus, Guy Ottewell explains heliocentric charts here.

Read more: Guy Ottewell explains heliocentric charts.

Some resources to enjoy

For more videos of great night sky events, visit EarthSky’s YouTube page.

Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to daily emails from EarthSky. It’s free!

Visit EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze to find a dark-sky location near you.

Post your own night sky photos at EarthSky Community Photos.

See the indispensable Observer’s Handbook, from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Visit Stellarium-Web.org for precise views from your location.

Almanac: Bright visible planets (rise and set times for your location).

Visit TheSkyLive for precise views from your location.

Visible planets: A swan flying in front of the light and dark bands of the Milky Way to signify Cygnus the Swan.
Attention amateur astronomers! Guy Ottewell’s popular and informative Astronomical Calendar for 2025 is available in both electronic and printed versions.

Bottom line: Visible planets and night sky guide. This evening, look for the waning gibbous moon near Jupiter, the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux, and the Beehive star cluster.

Posted 
November 10, 2025
 in 
Astronomy Essentials

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