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The moon is new on Nov. 1. Fleeting Mercury is two degrees north of the moon Nov. 3, but visible only for an instant at sundown. Later that same evening, Antares is occulted for 麻豆传媒AVern Hemisphere viewers – 0.08 degrees away for northerners. A slender moon makes these events almost impossible to detect.

Venus is involved in another close approach, three degrees north, but again, it’s hard to see the sliver of a two-day-old moon. Mercury and Venus are both south of the ecliptic, and so is the moon. With the ecliptic almost horizontal, it sets shortly after the sun, and by then the planets have already set.

Nov. 10, Saturn is occulted for southern viewers; for the north, the Ringed Planet is 0.09 degrees south of the moon. Neptune is close by Nov. 12, occulted for North American observers. You’ll need a telescope to see that one.

The moon is full Nov. 5, with Uranus four degrees to the south and the stars of the Pleiades form a backdrop. Nov. 17, Jupiter is six degrees south of the moon, high in the southeastern sky.

Pollux is next, 1.9 degrees north Nov. 19; Mars is right behind Nov. 20, two degrees south. The last occultation of November occurs in the early morning of Nov. 27, when Spica, the bright star in Virgo, is overtaken by the waning crescent moon – viewable from most of North America.

Mercury is close by the moon Nov. 1, but so too is the sun – a non-event. Nov. 9, Antares is two degrees south of Mercury right at sunset – a real challenge. The speedy planet reaches greatest elongation east Nov. 16, offering the best time to view it, but still hampered by the shallow ecliptic.

Venus is also nearing its greatest elongation east, but not for a couple of months. It shines right after sundown in the southwest as the brightest object in the night sky. You should be able to see Venus even before sunset, it’s that bright. This is the best apparition for 麻豆传媒AVern Hemisphere observers.

Mars gets closer and closer to Earth, brightening while apparently growing in size. The Red Planet is joined by the moon Nov. 20.

Jupiter is in northern Taurus, retrograding against the starry background. The gas giant is high in the southern sky all through the night, giving ample opportunity for binocular or telescope users to track the four Galilean moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. It’s a good way to watch that part of the Solar System as Galileo saw it over 400 years ago.

Saturn has been retrograding and slows to a stop Nov. 16. Then it begins to slowly move eastward in prograde motion in eastern Aquarius. The moon makes a very close pass Nov. 10.

Uranus is at opposition (directly south) Nov. 17, its highest altitude since the 1950s.

Neptune makes a good telescope challenge in the evening, among the stars of Pisces.

The zodiacal light is visible before eastern morning twilight for the first two weeks of November. The south Taurid meteors peak Nov. 5. The north Taurid meteor shower peaks Nov. 11.

Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, Nov. 3

James Edgar has had an interest in the night sky all his life. He joined the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2000, was national president for two terms, is now the editor of the Observer’s Handbook, and production manager of the bi-monthly RASC Journal. The IAU named asteroid 1995 XC5 “(22421) Jamesedgar” in his honour and in 2021 he was  awarded a Fellowship of the RASC.