

Saturn’s rings are only visible through a telescope, but the planet itself can still be seen with the naked eye in the evenings now through December 31.īinoculars or a telescope will help you spot the greenish glow of Uranus in the evenings through December 31.Īnd our most distant neighbor in the solar system, Neptune, will be visible via a telescope during the evenings through December 31.

Look for it in the evenings through December 31. Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is - when visible - the third-brightest object in our sky. Mars will make its reddish appearance in the morning sky between November 24 and December 31. It’s the second-brightest object in our sky, after the moon. Venus, our closest neighbor in the solar system, will appear in the western sky at dusk in the evenings through December 31. Mercury will shine in the night sky from November 29 to December 31. It’s possible to see most of these with the naked eye, with the exception of distant Neptune, but binoculars or a telescope will provide the best view. Skywatchers will have multiple opportunities to spot the planets in our sky during certain mornings and evenings for the remainder of 2021, according to the Farmers’ Almanac planetary guide. It won’t be visible in North America, but those in the Falkland Islands, the southern tip of Africa, Antarctica and southeastern Australia will be able to spot it. The last month of the year will kick off with a total eclipse of the sun on December 4. This year, there will be one more eclipse of the sun and another eclipse of the moon, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.Ī partial eclipse of the moon will take place November 19, and skywatchers in the main continent of North America and Hawaii can view it between 1 a.m. There are more meteor showers you can catch during the remainder of 2021, according to EarthSky’s 2021 meteor shower guide: The Leonid meteor shower will continue through November 30, according to NASA. The skies will be clear in the South West, to the west of the Rocky Mountains and Northeast, along the coast, she added.ĭon’t fret if you miss the shower’s peak. “Cloud cover will be widespread across the Great Lakes and Midwest, stretching into the Central Plains for overnight into Wednesday morning,” said Monica Garrett, a CNN meteorologist. If there is heavy cloud cover, you may not see anything.

If the moon is visible, wait until dawn to look for the meteors because at that point the moon will have set for the evening, EarthSky said. Skies with a moon that is covered is best, according to EarthSky. The bright light will make it harder to see the meteors streak across the sky.įor best viewing conditions, go to a dark area with no light. The moon is unfortunately in a waxing gibbous phase on peak night, meaning that much of the moon will be visible. A meteor storm has significantly more shooting stars than a meteor shower - at least 1,000 per hour, according to NASA. Viewers of the Leonid meteor shower, in areas of the United States where the weather will be clear, should expect to see about 10 to 15 meteors per hour, EarthSky said. The comet is hurtling through space at a velocity of 44 miles (71 kilometers) per second, NASA said. Its meteor debris originates from Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, a small comet about 2.24 miles (3.6 kilometers) wide, according to NASA. This meteor shower is known for having a storm every 33 years, with the last storm happening in 2002, NASA said.
