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Five Spectacular Autumn Night-Sky Events to Watch For
Autumn brings several interesting things to see in the night sky.
The Pleiades are a group of young stars that look like a small cluster.
You can find them toward the east in the constellation Taurus.
The Orionid meteor shower will create bright streaks from early October into November.
Four planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter—will be visible before sunrise around 14 November.
The Leonid meteor shower will peak around 17 November and is best viewed after midnight.
November will also have a Beaver supermoon on 24 November.
A supermoon happens when the full Moon is relatively close to Earth, making it look a little bigger and brighter.
Dark places away from city lights offer the best views.
The Pleiades star cluster will become more visible as autumn nights grow longer and can be found eastward in Taurus.
The Orionid meteor shower will run from early October into November, peaking around 21 October.
Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter will appear above the horizon before sunrise around 14 November.
The Leonid meteor shower will peak around 17 November, with roughly 10 to 15 meteors an hour possible under ideal conditions.
November’s Beaver supermoon will reach its full phase on 24 November and appear slightly larger and brighter than usual.
- Who
- Skywatchers and anyone interested in observing the night sky.
- What
- Five autumn sky events: the Pleiades, the Orionid meteor shower, a four-planet gathering, the Leonid meteor shower and November’s Beaver supermoon.
- Where
- Visible from the night sky, with the Pleiades toward the east in Taurus and the meteor showers appearing to radiate from Orion and Leo.
- When
- During autumn, with key dates around 21 October, 14 November, 17 November and 24 November.
- Why
- These events are opportunities to observe stars, planets, meteors and a relatively close full Moon; dark locations and favorable weather improve viewing conditions.
Key facts
- Pleiades distance
- The young stars are located around 440 light-years from Earth.
- Orionid peak
- Around 21 October.
- Planet gathering
- Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter should be above the horizon before sunrise around 14 November.
- Leonid peak
- Around 17 November.
- Leonid rate
- About 10 to 15 meteors an hour may be visible under ideal dark-sky conditions.
- Beaver supermoon
- The full Moon reaches its full phase on 24 November.
- Viewing advice
- Choose a dark location away from artificial light and check the weather before observing.
Sources
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