Astronomical Phenomena in Saudi Arabia and Arab World: November 2026 Guide
Skywatchers across Saudi Arabia and the Arab world face a busy calendar of celestial events throughout November 2026, featuring four planets visible in the dawn sky, multiple meteor showers, lunar conjunctions, and the year’s closest full moon.
Majed Abu Zahra, head of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, reported that the lunar cycle begins with the last quarter phase on Sunday, November 1, at 11:28 p.m., followed by the new moon on Monday, November 9, at 10:02 a.m., and the first quarter on Tuesday, November 17, at 2:48 p.m., all according to Mecca time. The moon reaches its full phase on Tuesday, November 24, at 5:53 p.m.
Planetary Alignments in the Dawn Sky
The morning hours bring several planets into view across a wide stretch of the horizon. On Saturday, November 7, a waning crescent moon appears close to Venus. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter then become visible simultaneously from November 13 to November 22.
Mercury reaches its greatest western elongation on Saturday, November 21, at 1:59 a.m., improving viewing conditions for the innermost planet between November 20 and 22 for observers with a clear eastern horizon.
Separately, the International Astronomical Center detailed a close conjunction on November 1 and 2, noting that the moon passes within five degrees of reddish Mars with a 45 percent illuminated disk, while bright Jupiter shines directly below them. Observers in parts of Indonesia, Australia, and select islands will witness an occultation as the moon passes directly in front of Jupiter starting at 20:45 Universal Time on November 2, while parts of South America will see a similar lunar occultation of the blue-white star Regulus on November 3.
Ahead of sunrise on Sunday, November 22, Mars, Jupiter, and the star Regulus form an isosceles-like triangle in the constellation Leo. Abu Zahra noted that Mars sits about 2.4 degrees away from both Jupiter and Regulus, while the distance between Jupiter and Regulus measures approximately 3.9 degrees, creating a naked-eye spectacle.
November Meteor Showers Peak Throughout the Month
November hosts activity from multiple meteor streams, starting with the Southern Taurids at a theoretical rate of about five meteors per hour. The Northern Taurids peak during the night of November 11 to 12, producing slow meteors that occasionally yield bright fireballs.
The Leonid meteor shower peaks during the night of November 17 to 18. Under ideal conditions, observers can expect between 10 and 15 meteors per hour, though actual counts will vary based on local light pollution, weather, and the elevation of the radiant point.
Later in the month, the moon passes near Saturn on Friday, November 20, before swinging close to the Pleiades cluster and the star Aldebaran on November 24 and 25.
The November 24 full moon coincides closely with the lunar perigee—the closest point in the moon’s orbit to Earth—which occurs on Thursday, November 26, at 11:58 p.m. This proximity creates what is popularly known as a "supermoon," appearing slightly larger and brighter than a full moon near apogee, though Abu Zahra emphasized that the term is an informal media designation rather than an official astronomical classification.
Deep-Sky Observation Opportunities
Uranus reaches opposition to the sun on Thursday, November 26, at 1:47 a.m., remaining visible nearly all night, though binoculars or a telescope are required to spot it.
The dark skies of November also offer favorable conditions to observe the Andromeda Galaxy. Situated approximately 2.5 million light-years away, the galaxy appears to the naked-eye from dark-sky locations as a faint, fuzzy patch, which optical aids help resolve more clearly.
Abu Zahra advised stargazers to select dark locations with an open horizon, check weather forecasts, and allow roughly 20 minutes for their eyes to adapt to the dark while avoiding bright light sources. While most listed phenomena are visible to the naked eye, optical tools remain necessary to isolate fainter deep-sky objects.