Here are some details on the Moon’s different phases, close approaches of planets with the Moon or the Sun, and other astronomical events in November.
November 1: Mercury reaches its greatest altitude (mag –0.2, phase 56%) after sunset (5° above the horizon), in the west.
Night of November 1 to 2: Change to Eastern Standard Time (EST) begins at 3 a.m., when clocks are set back to 2 a.m. in Quebec. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour.
November 2: Conjunction – Close approach: Mercury (mag –0.17) and Mars (mag +1.5). Just after sunset, in the eastern sky. With a clear horizon, Mercury and Mars can be seen slightly to the right of the Sun. The event will be tricky to spot as it occurs very low on the horizon. Wait for the Sun to fully set for the best view. On November 12, Mercury will be visible below Mars. After November 13, Mercury will become increasingly difficult to see as it appears to draw closer to the Sun.
November 2: Conjunction – Close approach of the Moon (90%) and Saturn (mag +0.78). Both celestial bodies will be visible from moonrise in the east (at sunset) and throughout the night. They will journey together across the sky from east to west, from sunset to sunrise—an awe-inspiring sight.
Saturn will appear just below and to the right of the Moon. Those with a small telescope will be able to see Neptune (mag +7.95) between Saturn and the Moon. Throughout November, the Saturn–Neptune duo will be visible every evening from sunset until around 2 a.m.
November 3: Moon at aphelion (92%) at 6:21 a.m. EST—its farthest distance from the Sun (152,457,150 km).
November 5: Full Moon (100%) at 8:19 a.m. EST. Moon at perigee (99%) at 5:27 p.m. EST—its closest point to Earth (356,500 km).
November 6: Conjunction – Close approach of the Moon (97%) and the open star cluster M45 (the Pleiades). The young open cluster M45 will lie slightly above and to the right of the Moon from sunset to sunrise on the night of November 6–7. Uranus (mag +5.63) will lie lower and to the right of M45, visible with binoculars or a small telescope throughout the night.
November 9: Conjunction – Close approach of the Moon (71%) and Jupiter (mag –2.4). After Saturn and M45, it’s Jupiter’s turn to pair up with the Moon! Jupiter will lie just below the Moon at moonrise in the east around 9 p.m. on November 9 and will follow it until sunrise on November 10. Don’t miss this spectacular sight! To the left of the Moon, you can also spot Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of the constellation Gemini.
November 11: Jupiter begins its apparent retrograde motion, reversing its usual eastward path through the constellations to move westward. This change in direction is a phenomenon all outer planets of the solar system undergo periodically, a few months before opposition. Jupiter’s apparent motion is caused by Earth’s orbit around the Sun, which changes our perspective and creates the illusion of a back-and-forth motion in the sky over the course of a year.
November 12: Last quarter Moon (50%) at 12:28 a.m. EST.
November 12: Peak of the Northern Taurid meteor shower. The Taurids are active from October 20 to December 10, with a peak around November 12. The radiant point, located in the constellation Taurus, will be visible all night from Montréal. The best viewing conditions will be around midnight (EST), when the radiant is highest in the sky. The Taurids are a weak but steady shower, with about five meteors per hour.
November 12: Conjunction – Close approach of Mercury (mag +1.0) and Mars (mag +1.5). Both planets will be visible just after sunset (around 4:45 p.m. EST) under a clear eastern sky. Mercury will appear as a thin crescent (18% phase) below Mars.
November 17: Peak of the Leonid meteor shower in the early morning. The shower is active from November 6 to 30. Its radiant, located in the constellation Leo, will rise in Montréal’s eastern sky at 10:34 p.m. and remain visible until dawn (around 6:21 a.m.).
The best time to observe the Leonids will be just before dawn, when the radiant is highest in the sky (around 6 a.m. EST). At its peak, the shower can produce up to 15 meteors per hour—a moderately active event but often spectacular thanks to the speed and brightness of its meteors.
November 18: Conjunction – Close approach of the Moon (3%) and Venus (mag –3.92). Just before sunrise, look east under a clear horizon to enjoy this beautiful pairing.
November 19: Moon at apogee (0.5%) at 9:48 p.m. EST—its farthest point from Earth (406,700 km).
November 20: New Moon (0%) at 1:47 a.m. EST.
November 20: Mercury in inferior conjunction. This phenomenon occurs roughly every 116 days, when Mercury passes between Earth and the Sun. Mercury will be just 0°32' from the Sun, making it invisible for several weeks as it’s lost in the Sun’s glare. This marks the end of its evening visibility; it will reappear in the morning sky in early December.
November 21: Uranus at opposition (mag +5.62). This means Uranus will be opposite the Sun in the sky, located in the constellation Taurus, and visible for much of the night. It will reach its highest point around midnight local time. Uranus will be visible with binoculars or a small telescope throughout the month near M45 (the Pleiades).
November 22: Conjunction – Close approach of the Moon (3%) and Mars (mag +1.37). Mars will appear very close—just to the right—of a thin crescent Moon at sunset. The best viewing conditions will be with a clear western sky. Also, look for earthshine, the faint glow on the Moon’s dark side caused by sunlight reflected from Earth.
November 22: Moon at perihelion (6%) at 1:34 a.m. EST—its closest distance to the Sun (149,597,871 km).
November 27: Saturn ends its apparent retrograde motion, halting its westward drift across the constellations and resuming its usual eastward path. This phenomenon, common to all outer planets, occurs a few months after opposition. It’s caused by Earth’s orbit around the Sun, which shifts our perspective and creates the illusion of backward motion in the sky.
November 28: First Quarter Moon (50%) at 1:59 a.m. EST.
November 29: Conjunction – Close approach of the Moon (67%) and Saturn (mag +0.9). Visible from sunset until 1:15 a.m. EST, the pair will be accompanied by Neptune, located between the Moon and Saturn and visible only with a small telescope.
