Looking for what to see in the sky this week? This guide highlights the upcoming astronomical events. Scroll down for sky maps and viewing tips, and use the Sky Tonight app to check when and where each object will appear in your sky.
Main astronomy events tonight: Four-Galaxy Challenge: LMC, SMC, Milky Way & M31; Moon near Venus & Spica; Lunar occultation of Venus.
Planets visible tonight: Evening and night — Saturn (naked eye), Neptune (telescope), and Uranus (binoculars/telescope); before dawn — Mars, Jupiter, and brilliant Venus (naked eye). Mercury passes inferior conjunction on November 4 and is generally lost in the Sun’s glare. Details: Planets Visible Tonight
Constellations visible tonight: Northern Hemisphere — Cassiopeia, Andromeda, and Pisces; Southern Hemisphere — Sculptor, Phoenix, and Tucana. Details: Constellations in November
Upcoming Astronomical Events: November 6-12, 2026
Date
Event
Best time
Equipment
Nov 6–12
Four-Galaxy Challenge: LMC, SMC, Milky Way & M31
After sunset; best around Nov 8–10
Naked eye / binoculars
Nov 6–7
Moon near Venus & Spica
Before sunrise
Naked eye
Nov 7
Lunar occultation of Venus
Dawn / daytime
Naked eye
Nov 8–9
Venus near Spica
Before sunrise
Naked eye
Nov 10–11
Moon near Antares
After sunset
Naked eye
Nov 11
Lunar occultation of Antares
Daytime / evening
Binoculars / telescope
Nov 11–12
Northern Taurids peak
Late night
Naked eye
Nov 12
Moon, Shaula & Kaus Australis form a near-equilateral triangle
After sunset
Naked eye
Below, you’ll find sky events arranged by date, with quick viewing tips to help you choose the best nights for stargazing. All dates are listed in GMT, so the exact calendar date may differ in your local time zone.
November 6–12: Four-Galaxy Challenge
From the Southern Hemisphere, the three nights before and after the November 9 New Moon offer an excellent window for galaxy hunting after sunset. Start with the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds in the southern sky — they are among the easiest deep-sky targets to spot from the Southern Hemisphere at this time of year and are visible to the naked eye under dark skies. With very little moonlight during this period, they should stand out as soft glowing patches. For the best view, get as far away from city lights as possible.
Then look for the broad, hazy band of the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy low toward the northeast. Andromeda reaches its highest point in the sky at around 10 p.m. local time during this period, making this a good time to search for it before it sinks lower later in the night. The farther south you are, the lower Andromeda appears; it never rises south of about 49°S. It is the trickiest target in the challenge, so for the best view, look for Bortle 1–5 skies, away from strong city lights, with a clear northern horizon. Binoculars can help, but under excellent conditions both the Milky Way and Andromeda can be enjoyed with the naked eye.
From South America, before sunrise on November 7, look low in the east-southeast for a very thin waning crescent Moon beside brilliant Venus and blue-white Spica. Venus will be the easiest object to spot, while the 3–4%-illuminated Moon may be more challenging in the brightening twilight. The three objects will fit into a compact patch of sky, with Venus about 1° from the Moon and Spica roughly 2° away. A clear, unobstructed horizon will help.
Within a narrow occultation path crossing southern South America, the Falkland Islands, and Antarctica, the thin crescent Moon will pass directly in front of Venus and briefly hide the brilliant planet from view. Because Venus is so bright, its disappearance at the lunar edge should be especially striking. Outside this narrow path, the Moon and Venus will still appear less than 1° apart.
Before sunrise on November 9, look low above the eastern horizon for brilliant Venus shining very close to Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. The two objects will be just about 1°09′ apart — roughly the width of your little finger held at arm’s length. Venus will be much brighter and easier to spot, while Spica may take a little more effort in the morning twilight. Choose a place with a clear, unobstructed horizon for the best view.
Look low above the western horizon after sunset for an extremely thin waxing crescent Moon near bright red Antares. The pair will be best placed from the Southern Hemisphere, where they appear higher in a darker evening sky. In the Americas, look on the evening of November 10; from Australia and the western South Pacific, the better view comes on November 11. The Moon will be only about 4% illuminated, so a clear horizon will help.
Along a narrow path crossing the southern Indian Ocean, Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific, the Moon will pass directly in front of Antares. Much of the occultation occurs in daylight or bright twilight, but parts of the South Pacific get a better chance to see the red star disappear behind the thin lunar crescent.
November 11–12: Northern Taurids meteor shower peaks
The Northern Taurids reach their peak on the night of November 11–12, producing up to about five meteors per hour under ideal conditions. The shower is modest in number, but its meteors are typically slow and bright, with occasional fireballs adding to the show. The thin waxing crescent Moon will set in the evening, leaving the hours around midnight largely free of moonlight. The radiant lies in Taurus, and the shower is visible from both hemispheres; no equipment is needed.
November 12: Moon, Shaula, and Kaus Australis form a triangle
After sunset, a thin waxing crescent Moon will join Shaula and Kaus Australis to form a large, nearly equilateral triangle, with each side spanning roughly 10° — about the width of your fist held at arm’s length. The pattern will look best from the Southern Hemisphere, especially from South America, where the trio will be easier to see before it sinks toward the horizon. The Moon and both stars are visible to the naked eye, though a clear, unobstructed view will help.
There is almost always something worth seeing in the night sky. Use this guide to choose the best events for tonight and the coming days, but remember that visibility depends on your location, local time, weather, and light pollution. For the most accurate view, check the exact position of each object in the Sky Tonight app before you go outside.
