As autumn nights lengthen, observers in the northern hemisphere can view a series of celestial events, including meteor showers, a planetary gathering, and a supermoon.

The autumn season offers increased opportunities for skywatching in the northern hemisphere as nights grow longer. Over the coming months, observers can track a variety of astronomical phenomena, starting with the Pleiades star cluster and continuing through November with meteor showers, a planetary parade, and a supermoon.

Star Clusters and Meteor Showers

The Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, is a cluster of young stars located approximately 440 light years from Earth. Found in the constellation Taurus, it is visible in the east during autumn evenings. While often called the Seven Sisters, most observers can distinguish about six stars with the naked eye, though binoculars or a telescope reveal many more. The Orionid meteor shower, caused by Earth passing through debris from Halley's comet, is active from early October through November, peaking around 21 October. These meteors radiate from the constellation Orion. Later in the season, the Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak around 17 November. These meteors travel at approximately 70km per second, making them some of the fastest visible from Earth, with rates of 10 to 15 per hour under ideal conditions.

Planetary Parade and Supermoon

On 14 November, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter will gather above the horizon before sunrise. Venus and Jupiter are expected to be the easiest to spot due to their brightness, while Mercury will be more difficult to observe because it remains low in the sky near the sun's glare. November also features a full moon known as the Beaver Moon, which will reach its full phase on 24 November. This event is classified as a supermoon, occurring when the moon is closer to Earth, resulting in a larger and brighter appearance. This marks the beginning of a series of four consecutive supermoons extending through February 2027.