Magic! Total lunar eclipse, Leonid meteor shower to Uranus, NASA reveals when to watch

The month of November brings the opportunity to watch the total lunar eclipse, Leonid meteor shower and more. Here is what NASA revealed.

Here is all you get to see in the sky in November, according to NASA. (Pixabay)

November is here and it is going to offer a great skywatching month. A total lunar eclipse, the moon and planets, and the Leonid meteor shower, NASA has revealed about all the events that are going to take place up in the sky this month. "What's Up this month? A total lunar eclipse is on the way to provide a little celestial magic early on the morning of November 8th," NASA Solar System tweeted. Here are the details you need to know:

November 8: Total Lunar Eclipse

People will be able to witness a total lunar eclipse, early on the morning of November 8, 2022. The eclipse will be visible to viewers in North America, the Pacific region, Australia, and Eastern Asia – anywhere the Moon is above the horizon while the eclipse is happening.

"For observers in the Eastern time zone of the U.S. and Canada, the partial eclipse begins a little after 4 a.m. It reaches full eclipse about 5:15 local time, and the Moon then sets while still in eclipse for you. For observers on the West Coast of North America, that translates to the partial eclipse beginning just after 1 a.m., and reaching full eclipse by about 2:15 a.m. You'll be able to see the entire eclipse unfold before sunrise, weather permitting, as the Moon exits the dark part of Earth's shadow (called the umbra) a few minutes before 5 a.m.," NASA said.

It further informed that during a lunar eclipse, you will likely notice that you can see a lot more faint stars, as the full moon dims to a dull red.

Notably, during this eclipse, viewers with binoculars can spy an extra treat – the ice giant planet Uranus will be visible just a finger's width away from the eclipsed Moon.

November 11: Moon between Mars and bright bluish-white star Elnath

In the pre-dawn hours of November 11, you will find the Moon directly between Mars and bright bluish-white star Elnath. Elnath is the second brightest star in the constellation Taurus, after reddish Aldebaran, and it forms the northern horn of the bull. You will find that Elnath is about the same brightness as the star Bellatrix in nearby Orion, where it forms one of the hunter's shoulders.

November 18: Leonid meteor shower

The Leonid meteor shower is active throughout November. It peaks after midnight on the 18th, with something like 15 to 20 meteors per hour under clear, dark skies. The shower's name comes from the constellation Leo, the lion, from which its meteors appear to radiate. The meteors are dusty bits of debris left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle as it orbits the Sun. This comet was actually discovered twice, independently.

According to NASA, on the peak night for the Leonids this year, the Moon will be about 35 percent full, meaning it will interfere with your ability to see the fainter meteors. However, Leonid meteors are often bright, with trails (also called trains) that persist for a couple of seconds after they streak across the sky.

And while the Moon will be rising in the east with Leo around midnight local time, it's actually better to view the sky away from the meteors' apparent point of origin, by lying back and looking straight upward, as any meteor trails you see will appear longer and more spectacular.

November 20: Crescent Moon

On November 20, in the hour before sunrise, you can look toward the southeast to find a slim, crescent Moon hanging right above bright bluish star Spica. It's a giant star, 10 times the mass of our Sun, and 12000 times more luminous. Fortunately for us, it is located 260 light years away.

November 28: Crescent Moon hangs beneath Saturn

And in the evening sky, on November 28, a beautiful crescent Moon hangs beneath Saturn in the south after sunset.