Sky Report

November, 2026

This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the period between November 1 and November 30, 2026. Here are the events happening in the sky of southern California.

All times are in Pacific Standard Time.

On the 1^st, the sun rises in the east-southeast at 6:13 a.m. and sets in the west-southwest at 5:00 p.m. On the 30^th, the sun rises in the east-southeast at 6:40 a.m. and sets in the west-southwest at 4:44 p.m.

PLANETS

Mercury begins the month close to the sun and is not safe to observe. On the 10^th, the planet rises in the east-southeast at 5:22 a.m., and the sun rises at 6:21 a.m., 59 minutes later. Mercury is 11-percent illuminated and 9.2 arcseconds wide. A magnification of 150x is needed to see such a small disk. On the 30^th, Mercury rises in the east-southeast at 5:17 a.m., and the sun rises at 6:40 a.m., one hour 23 minutes later. The planet is 83-percent illuminated and 5.6 arcseconds wide.

Venus rises in the east-southeast at 5:17 a.m., on the 1^st, and the sun rises at 6:13 a.m., 56 minutes later. The planet is 2.5-percent illuminated and 60 arcseconds wide. On the 30^th, Venus rises in the east at 3:24 a.m., with a disk that is 27-percent illuminated and 40 arcseconds wide. A small telescope with a magnification of 100x will show the disk. Do not observe any planet when it comes close to the sun, for the danger to the eyes is great.

Mars is in Leo the Lion. On the 1^st, the planet rises in the east-northeast at 11:47 p.m., with a disk that is 89-percent illuminated and 6.5 arcseconds wide. On the 30^th, Mars rises in the east-northeast at 10:54 p.m., with a disk that is 90-percent illuminated and 7.9 arcseconds wide. A telescope with a magnification of 150x is needed to see its disk.

Jupiter is in Leo the Lion. On the 1^st, the planet rises in the east-northeast at 12:17 a.m., with a disk that is 36 arcseconds wide. On the 30^th, Jupiter rises at 10:30 p.m., with a disk that is 39 arcseconds wide. A telescope capable of magnification 50x will show the Red Spot, and the four bright Galilean moons can be seen moving back and forth, across and behind Jupiter.

Saturn is in Cetus the Sea Monster. On the 1^st, Saturn sets in the west at 3:55 a.m., with a disk that is 19 arcseconds wide. On the 30^th, Saturn sets in the west at 1:55 a.m. The rings and Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, can be seen with a telescope capable of magnification 50x.

Uranus is in Taurus the Bull. On the 1^st, the planet rises in the east-northeast at 6:16 p.m. On the 30^th, Uranus rises at 4:18 p.m. On the 15^th, Uranus is at Right Ascension 4^h 8^m 42^s and declination +20° 49ʹ 27ʺ. A magnification of 150x or more is needed to see the planet’s 3.8-arcsecond disk.

Neptune is in Pisces the Fishes. On the 1^st, the planet sets in the west at 3:22 a.m. On the 30^th, Neptune sets in the west at 1:26 a.m. On the 15^th, Neptune is at Right Ascension 0^h 8^m 57^s and declination -0° 33ʹ 51ʺ. A magnification of 150x or more is needed to see the planet’s 2.3-arcsecond disk.

The moon is at last quarter on the 1^st, new on the 8^th, first quarter on the 17^th, full on the 24^th, and last quarter again on the 30^th.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 1, at 2:00 a.m. All clocks must be set back one hour, according to the saying, “Spring forward, fall back.”

The Leonid meteor shower is active from the 6^th through the 30^th. The shower peaks from the evening of the 17^th through to the morning of 18^th. The shower is named after the constellation Leo the Lion, from which the meteors appear to originate. The Leonids will produce up to 15 meteors per hour with many bright meteors. The moon is a 66-percent waxing gibbous and will set before the peak period and not interfere with observation this year. The parent object is the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.

The Northern Taurid meteor shower is active from October 20 to December 10. The shower peaks from the evening of the 11^th to the morning of the 12^th. The shower is named after the constellation of Taurus the Bull, where the meteors appear to originate. The moon is a waxing crescent and will not interfere with observations. The parent object is the comet 2P/Encke. The Northern Taurids might produce ten to 20 meteors per hour, with occasional fireballs.

The Southern Taurid meteor shower has two peaks. The annual component is on November 14. The fireball component peaks from the evening of November 4 through to the morning of the 5^th. The shower is named after the constellation of Taurus the Bull, where the meteors appear to originate. The moon is a waning crescent and will not interfere with observations. The parent object is the comet 2P/Encke. The Southern Taurids rarely produce more than five meteors per hour, but many are bright fireballs.

Griffith Observatory normally provides free public sky observing day and night – weath­er permitting – through a variety of telescopes. Currently, the Observatory is open Tuesday through Sunday. To plan a visit to the Observatory, please see our website (www.griffithobs.org) for the latest information. The Sky Report, also available on the website, pro­vides monthly observing information.

The month of November begins with the Moon waning. The New Moon on the 8th ends this cycle. From the 9th onward, the Moon is waxing which means its surface is becoming more illuminated. The Moon is full again on November 24th. The Last Quarter is on the 1st and the 30th, and the First Quarter is on the 17th.

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