What to Look for This Month in the Sky After the Sun Goes Down

The month of November will feature three meteor showers, making it a good month to head outside to see what you may spot streaking across the sky. The last supermoon of the year and a rare celestial alignment are also on the astronomical calendar this month. The longer nights as the clocks fall back support more opportunities to check out the night skies. Here is what you need to know about the upcoming November astronomy events.

Trio of November Meteor Showers

Three different meteor showers highlight the November astronomy calendar. The Southern Taurids and the Northern Taurids are up first, peaking during the first two weeks of November.

This pair of meteor showers differ from other events of their kind during the year in that they feature extending viewing peaks. For instance, most meteor showers come with a defined peak night. However, the duo of Taurids showers will offer great viewing opportunities throughout the entirety of the first half of the month. This will give stargazers a greater opportunity to find a night with clear skies to hopefully see these shooting stars.

You can expect the two showers to generate about five meteors each hour. The American Meteor Society (AMS) is also predicting that this year's Taurids will also generate the particularly bright meteors known as fireballs.

The Taurids will serve as an appetizer for what it is expected to be the most brilliant meteor shower of the month. The Leonids are going to peak on the night of Sunday, November 17 and into the early morning hours of Monday, November 18. While this shower is historically known for its ability to generate up to thousands of meteors each hour, this year's show is only expected to produce about 15 to 20 meteors every hour.