Skywatchers are in for a captivating view this Sunday, Nov. 9, when a waning moon — fresh from being the largest full moon since 2019 — rises alongside giant planet Jupiter.
Moon And Jupiter: When And Where To Watch
The action will happen in the east-northeast night sky about four hours after sunset, with the moon shining between Jupiter and the twin stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor.
You can find the exact time of Jupiter’s rise where you are by consulting an online planetarium, such as Stellarium or TimeandDate.
Moon And Jupiter: What You’ll See
Closest to the horizon will be Jupiter, shining at magnitude -2.2. About four degrees above it will be the moon, in its waning gibbous phase and 71%-lit. Around three degrees to the left of the moon will be Pollux. The three objects will form a gentle arc in the sky visible to the naked eye.
If you do have binoculars, all three — Pollux, the moon and Jupiter — will fit comfortably in the same binocular field.
Moon And Jupiter: Observing Tips
Point binoculars at the moon to see its craters and dark maria, but also at Jupiter, where its four Galilean moons — Ganymede, Europa, Callisto and Io — will be visible as points of light.
The conjunction of the moon and Jupiter tonight gives stargazers an excellent opportunity to study the color of stars. At first glance, the stars in the night sky may seem to be all the same color, but that’s not the case. To the moon’s immediate left is Pollux, an orangey binary star system roughly 34 light-years from Earth. Just above Pollux lies Castor, a slightly dimmer and distinctly white star. It’s about 51 light-years away. Point binoculars at both of them in turn — you’ll notice the contrast in color.
Moon And Jupiter: Nearby Stars
Nearby in the night sky is Orion, rising in the southeast. You’ll spot Orion’s Belt — a straight line of three stars — pointing down toward the horizon. On either side are two brilliant stars: Betelgeuse, a red supergiant about 642 light-years away, and Rigel, a blue-white supergiant some 860 light-years distant. Binoculars will reveal another contrast in color. The Belt stars themselves — Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka — range from 1,200 to over 2,000 light-years distant.
What’s Next In The Night Sky
There are plenty of highlights in the night sky in November 2025. The Leonid meteor shower — famed for “meteor storms” in the past — peaks overnight on Nov. 16-17, with 15 meteors per hour likely under dark skies. That’s followed by a period of dark, moonless skies as our natural satellite reaches its new moon phase, when it’s lost in the sun’s glare and out of the night sky. That’s the perfect time to learn the winter night sky’s beautiful constellations in and around Orion.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
