The Night Sky This Week

Each Monday, I pick out North America’s celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the northern hemisphere). Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.

The Night Sky This Week: Nov. 18–24, 2024

The moon can often bleach the sky, making it difficult to see stars, but it moves quickly. Since it rises 50 minutes later each night, last week’s full moon will slip from view this week, boosting the quality of your stargazing, but not before a few late-night conjunctions, first with Pollux, then with the red planet, Mars.

Here’s everything you need to know about stargazing and sky-watching this week:

Monday, Nov. 18: Leonid Meteor Shower

The peak of the annual Leonid meteor shower will occur in the early pre-dawn hours of this morning. Since the moon — just a few days past full — will rise late on Sunday, Nov. 17, the 15-or-so “shooting stars” per hour will likely prove hard to see.

Tuesday, Nov. 19: Moon In Gemini

As a constellation, Gemini is a little confusing, with the legs and feet of “the twins” largely faint and hard to find. However, its main two stars — Castor and Pollux — are bright, easy targets.

Tonight they’ll be visited by a waning gibbous moon, now 80% illuminated, in the east-northeast at about 8 p.m. local time. See them rise together.

Wednesday, Nov. 20: Moon And Mars In Conjunction

Now 70%-illuminated, the waning gibbous moon continues its journey around Earth, tonight passing a few degrees from Mars. It will all take place against the backdrop of the constellation Cancer.

Look to the east-northeast at about 9 p.m. local time to see them rise together.

Friday, Nov. 22: Andromeda Galaxy

With the moon not rising until late at night, any time is good for grabbing a view of the largest object the human eye can see. It may look like little more than a fuzzy blob in binoculars (10×42 or 10×50 are recommended) or a small telescope, but the Andromeda galaxy’s significance comes from its half a trillion stars and its distance.

Just 2.5 million light-years away, this spiral galaxy not only resembles the Milky Way but will merge with it in about four billion years. Scientists now think that the halos of both galaxies have already begun interacting. You can see Andromeda — also known as M31 — with the naked eye in really dark skies.

Saturday, Nov. 23: Last Quarter Moon

Today, we will see a last quarter (or third-quarter) moon, which will appear half-illuminated and rise after midnight. Over the next week, its rising time will gradually shift later by about 50 minutes each night, clearing the way for night skies that are darker for longer.

The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.