Southern Californian stargazers should get ready for a month packed with astronomical events, starting with fireballs and ending with a supermoon.
If you’ve been waiting for an excuse to drive out to the desert and look up, this is it.
Here is everything you need to know about November’s busy night skies:
Catch ‘Halloween fireballs’ during the Taurid meteor showers
The Southern Taurid meteor shower already put on a show early Thursday morning, but you still have time to catch the second act. The Northern Taurid shower will peak overnight on Nov. 11.
According to Tim Thompson, the science director at Mt. Wilson Observatory, observers in areas with little light pollution can expect to see 10 to 15 meteors per hour.
While it doesn’t produce a massive volume of meteors, it gives you a much higher-than-usual chance of seeing what scientists call a fireball.
These meteors appear brighter than Venus in the night sky and are sometimes affectionately called ‘Halloween fireballs’.
A rare planetary conjunction
Early risers are in for a very rare treat mid-month. On Nov. 15 and 16, Jupiter and Mars will appear right next to each other in a planetary conjunction.
According to Bruce Betts, chief scientist at the Planetary Society, you should look for a bright white Jupiter near a red-orange Mars between 4 and 6 a.m.. Make sure you find an open space without trees or mountains blocking your view of the eastern sky.
While conjunctions happen periodically, this specific meetup between Jupiter and Mars only happens once every few years.
The Leonids meteor shower returns
Just a day later, the annual Leonids meteor shower is expected to peak on Nov. 17 and 18. These meteors are actually the debris stream from the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.
For the best views of any meteor shower this month, you will need to escape the city’s light pollution. Head to desert sites like Joshua Tree National Park, the San Gabriel Mountains, or a dark beach.
Close out the month with a massive supermoon
To cap off a busy November, a supermoon will be visible on Nov. 23 and 24. A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon being close to the Earth in its oval-shaped orbit, making it appear larger and brighter than usual.
To maximize the experience, scientists recommend observing the supermoon when it is close to the horizon.
Look east around sunset to see the moon rise; the “horizon illusion” will make it look absolutely massive compared to familiar landmarks. Plan ahead, because the sun sets just after 4:45 p.m. on Nov. 23 and 24.
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