The moon will have close encounters with two star clusters this week
The moon is taking center stage this month in skies around the world.
Earth's only natural satellite will have two impressive encounters with star clusters this week as the moon slides by the far-off stellar objects.
On Nov. 7, the moon will pass by the M-35 star cluster, and on Nov. 10, the moon will be near the Beehive cluster, according to NASA.
While you can see this conjunction with your naked eye, you'll be able to make out more details using a pair of binoculars.
The moon's close passes with the star clusters aren't the only skywatching moments worth looking up for in November.
"This month Venus pairs up with Jupiter on the morning of Nov. 13, as they did in 2015 and 2016 when the two planets appeared a little closer than this year," NASA said in a video. "You'll have to be looking very low on the east-southeast horizon about 45 minutes before sunrise."
Three meteor showers will also grace skies around the world in November.
The Taurids, Orionids, and Leonids will produce a meager number of meteors throughout the month, but it could still be worthwhile to go out and take a look for any shooting stars you might be able to see.
"The Leonids peak on a moonless Nov. 17. Expect no more than 10 meteors an hour around 3:00 a.m., the height of the shower. The Northern and Southern sub-branches of the Taurid meteor shower offer sparse counts of about 5 meteors per hour, but slow, bright meteors are common," NASA said.
"The nearby November Orionids peak on the 28th. In contrast to the Taurids, the Orionids are swift. But don't expect more than 3 meteors per hour."
When attempting to watch a meteor shower, be sure to bundle up if it's cold and settle in for a long wait.
Set up in a place with a wide view of as much of the sky as possible and try to get far away from any light pollution. Lie back and attempt to take in as much of the sky as possible, but most importantly, just remain patient and wait for the meteors to fly above you.
Miriam Kramer worked as a staff writer for Space.com for about 2.5 years before joining Mashable to cover all things outer space. She took a ride in weightlessness on a zero-gravity flight and watched rockets launch to space from places around the United States. Miriam received her Master's degree in science, health and environmental reporting from New York University in 2012, and she originally hails from Knoxville, Tennessee. Follow Miriam on Twitter at @mirikramer.
