November 2026 smart telescope observing guide
02 Nov. 2026
In the northern hemisphere, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is very high in the sky in the early night in mid-November, with the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) also high. In the middle of the night, Taurus is high in the south, and the Pleiades are very high in the sky. In the second half of the night, Auriga, Gemini and Orion are well placed, and by the end of the night the galaxies M81, M82 and M51 climb higher.
In the southern hemisphere, the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253) passes very high in the sky in the early night. The Pleiades are mainly a northern-hemisphere object, but they can still be glimpsed from the south, and November is the best season for it: the cluster culminates in the middle of the night, at a modest elevation (roughly 25° to 40° depending on latitude). At that time, the Orion Nebula is well above the horizon, and the Large Magellanic Cloud, with the Tarantula Nebula, is well placed too. In the second half of the night, Orion, Canis Major and Puppis dominate, and the Large Magellanic Cloud is at its best.
November 2026 astronomical calendar
It is recommended to observe nebulae and galaxies when the Moon is not visible. Its brightness diminishes the darkness of the sky and reduces the quality of observations of faint and diffuse objects.
Refer to the following calendar for the best days this month.
- November 1 — Last Quarter Moon
- November 9 — New Moon
- November 17 — First Quarter Moon
- November 17–18 — Leonid meteor shower peak, with a zenithal hourly rate of about 15 meteors
- November 24 — Full Moon
Celestial Scene of the Month
Northern sky
The California Nebula (NGC 1499)
The California Nebula (NGC 1499) is an emission nebula in Perseus, between about 1,000 and 1,500 light-years away and roughly 100 light-years long. Its glow comes mainly from the hot star Xi Persei, located next to the nebula, and its outline on long exposures resembles the US state of California.
The nebula stretches about 2.5° in length, more than the 1.6° native field of the Vespera Pro, so the mosaic mode is needed to frame all of it. Its surface brightness is very low, and its structure emerges with long cumulative integration.
A dual-band filter is recommended.
Southern sky
The Tarantula Nebula region (NGC 2070, 30 Doradus)
The Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070, 30 Doradus) lies in the Large Magellanic Cloud, in the constellation Dorado, about 170,000 light-years away. It is a giant star-forming region close to 1,000 light-years across, among the largest known in the Local Group.
The Tarantula Nebula by itself fits within a single Vespera field, so the mosaic mode is not required to frame it. However, the nebula is surrounded by numerous star-forming regions, nebulae and star clusters, which makes the whole region worth capturing in mosaic mode.
A dual-band filter is recommended.
"Plan my Night" of the month
Suggested observation program you can automate with "Plan My Night."
Give each object as much observation time as you can to get the best results.
Northern sky
Use the dual-band filter for this plan.
Southern sky
Do not use the dual-band filter for this plan.
Around the full moon
During the few nights surrounding the full moon, it's best to focus on star clusters, which are less affected by the Moon's light pollution.
Northern sky
The Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884)
The Double Cluster (Caldwell 14) is a pair of young open clusters in Perseus, about 7,000 to 7,500 light-years away. The two clusters, each about 30′ across and separated by about 30′, fit together in a single field.
Constellation: Perseus • Mag.: 3.7 and 3.8 • Angular size: about 60′ × 30′ for the two clusters together
Southern sky
Caldwell 73 (NGC 1851)
Caldwell 73 is a dense globular cluster in Columba, about 39,000 to 40,000 light-years away. Its stars are strongly concentrated toward the center.
Constellation: Columba • Mag.: 7.1 • Angular size: 11′
Challenging Target of the Month
Northern sky
The Ghost of Cassiopeia (IC 63 and IC 59)
IC 63 and IC 59 are two faint nebulae in Cassiopeia, about 550 to 600 light-years away, shaped by the radiation of the nearby star Gamma Cassiopeiae. IC 63 is both an emission and a reflection nebula, dominated by red hydrogen emission. IC 59, farther from the star, shows proportionally more of the blue light reflected by dust.
The two nebulae belong to a wider nebulous region of about 2° around Gamma Cassiopeiae, larger than the 1.6° native field of the Vespera Pro, and the bright star dominates the field. Capturing the faint structures calls for long integration, careful processing and, for the whole region, the mosaic mode. A dual-band filter records mainly the red emission, while without a filter the blue reflection is captured too.
Southern sky
The Robin's Egg Nebula (NGC 1360)
The Robin's Egg Nebula (NGC 1360) is a planetary nebula in Fornax, about 1,400 to 1,500 light-years away and about 3 light-years across. Its central star is a binary system of two evolved white dwarfs, and the blue-green color of the nebula comes from the emission of doubly ionized oxygen.
NGC 1360 has an integrated magnitude of 9.4 spread over an oval about 6.5′ long, so its surface brightness is low. Its two lobes, each crossed by a dark lane, only show their fine structure with long integration.
Magnitude and angular size reminder
