Skywatchers in Indonesia have a packed schedule in November 2026, according to AFU.id, which reports that Mars and Jupiter will appear close together in the eastern sky on 15–16 November, the Leonid meteor shower peaks on the night of 17 November into the early hours of 18 November, and a supermoon follows on 24 November. The outlet notes that the whole sequence can be viewed without a telescope, with the best viewing windows falling after midnight and before dawn.
AFU.id describes the month as opening with the Southern Taurid meteor shower, which peaks on 4–5 November, and the Northern Taurids on 11–12 November. Both produce fewer meteors than the Leonids, the outlet reports. A new moon on 9 November will leave the sky darker in the run-up to the Northern Taurid peak.
Why it matters
Most of these events need nothing more than clear skies and a dark location, which makes November an unusually accessible month for casual observers as well as dedicated skywatchers. AFU.id stresses that a site with little light pollution and an open view toward the east gives the best chance of catching the displays, particularly in the hours before sunrise. Cloud cover and rain remain the main obstacles, so the outlet advises checking local forecasts before heading out.
Mars and Jupiter share the eastern sky
According to AFU.id, the gap between Mars and Jupiter narrows to roughly 1.2 degrees on 15–16 November — about twice the apparent width of a full moon. Both planets rise after midnight in the constellation Leo and are easiest to locate before dawn in the east. Jupiter appears as a bright white point, while Mars is dimmer and takes on a reddish hue, the outlet reports.
Leonids peak under a dark sky
The Leonid shower reaches its maximum on the night of 17 November through the morning of 18 November. AFU.id reports that under dark conditions the shower can produce around 10 to 15 meteors per hour, radiating from a point in Leo that rises near midnight. The first-quarter moon sets around midnight, leaving the sky relatively dark for meteor watching afterward. The Leonids remain active from 6 November to 30 November, according to the outlet.
Mercury, Venus and a supermoon
AFU.id reports that Mercury reaches its greatest western elongation at 07.31 WIB on 21 November, placing it about 20 degrees from the Sun in the morning sky. The planet can be sought low on the eastern horizon roughly 45 minutes before sunrise on 20 and 21 November, with Venus — then at its brightest — visible nearby as a reference point.
The full moon arrives at 21.53 WIB on 24 November. AFU.id notes that this counts as a supermoon because the moon is near its closest point to Earth, making it appear slightly larger and brighter than usual. It is the second of three supermoons in 2026, following one in January and preceding the closest of the year on 24 December, the outlet reports. That night the moon also appears near the Pleiades star cluster.
A final grouping before December
Toward the end of the month, on 29–30 November, the moon joins Jupiter and Mars near Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, according to AFU.id. The trio appears in the eastern sky before dawn and offers the month's last chance to see Mars and Jupiter in the same field of view as the moon.
AFU.id notes that telescopes are only needed to make out surface detail on the planets. The next major marker is the December supermoon, which the outlet identifies as the year's closest.
