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November features two meteor showers and a supermoon

Posted at 12:28 PM, Nov 02, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-03 16:03:15-04

For those of you who find yourself regularly outdoors, staring upwards and getting lost in the night sky. November is going to be a busy time for stargazers.

This month, we'll be able to witness two different meteor showers and one of the biggest supermoons we’ve seen in nearly 70 years.

If you’re looking upward on Nov. 11, aim your camera and your eyes toward the south, specifically toward the constellation Taurus, the bull, for our first meteor shower of the month. If you can escape the city lights, you can expect to catch 10 to 15 meteors per hour streaking through the heavens.

Just a few days later, on Nov. 13 and 14, the Beaver supermoon will move through the sky from east to west, rising over the horizon just after sunset that Sunday night. This particular supermoon will be the largest we have seen since 1948 and the largest we will see again until 2034.

The full moon for this month is called a Beaver Moon because this is the month typically when beaver traps are set.

Finally, the Leonid meteor shower will peak by Nov. 16 and 17. The moon will be just below the horizon by midnight. That will allow for better viewing conditions so as long as the cloud cover cooperates. Between 10 to 20 shooting stars will be visible per hour in the early morning hours over the east horizon.

Grab a coat (as clear nights this time of year also come with chilly temperatures), get outside and turn your eyes to the skies.