Some may lament the darker evenings that come with the change in seasons and the end of daylight saving time, but more darkness means more time for stargazing—and this week’s night sky will offer up quite a show. To kick off November, Jupiter will be at its brightest and the South Taurid meteor shower will be at its peak. Here’s how to see them both.
According to EarthSky, Jupiter will be closest to Earth—at perigee—at 5pm EST on November 2. On November 3, around 1am E.T., Jupiter will be in opposition, meaning it will be most opposite to the sun in the sky. At around midnight local time, Jupiter will be shining at its highest point in the sky, more or less where the sun was at noon local time. Jupiter will be the fourth brightest object in the sky after the sun, moon and Venus, and will be the brightest object visible for most of the night.
A few days later, you can catch the peak of the South Taurid meteor shower. If the weather is good and you can head somewhere away from light pollution, you’ll be able to see the meteor shower some time after midnight, when it’s predicted to peak. EarthSky notes that light from a waning crescent moon could obscure some of the show, but it’s worth a shot to catch some of the impressive fireballs, nearly as bright as Venus, that the shower is expected to produce.
Get out there and enjoy the fabulous first week of November’s night sky!