Lithuanian stargazers face a rich schedule of planetary alignments, meteor showers, and a supermoon throughout November 2026, though success depends heavily on overcoming cloud cover, according to regional astronomy reports.
Venus, Mars, and Jupiter Appear in the Morning Sky
The morning sky hosts a steady lineup of bright planets. Venus, Mars, and Jupiter remain visible before dawn all month long, as detailed by 77.lt.
A particularly close approach occurs on November 16, when Mars and Jupiter appear close together in the morning sky, as calculated by 77.lt. Alkas notes that while the two planets appear side by side, physical space separates them by hundreds of millions of kilometers. Observers can view the pair with the naked eye, while telescopes reveal Jupiter’s brightest moons.
Mercury also joins the pre-dawn display around November 21, reaching its greatest western elongation at roughly 19,6 degrees from the Sun, according to 77.lt.
Positioned very low in the east-southeast. It sits about 7 degrees above the horizon near 07:00.
Mercury is visible to the naked eye under clear skies, though binoculars help locate it quickly in the brightening dawn.
Early in the month, the Moon also passes near Mars and Jupiter, offering a separate viewing opportunity reported by the Poland-based meteorology portal TwojaPogoda.pl. Stargazers looking toward the eastern horizon during the early morning hours can witness the changing position of the Moon relative to the two planets across consecutive nights.
Taurid and Leonid Meteor Showers Peak in November
Meteor activity starts early in the month with the Southern Taurids peaking around November 5 and Northern Taurids following near November 12, as reported by Alkas. Southern Taurid meteors can be searched for on the night of November 4-5, with NASA and the American Meteor Society noting the activity peak around November 5. These two meteor streams originate from dust particles left behind by comet 2P/Encke.
Taurids are known for producing bright fireballs that can be visible even when other meteors are not.
Later in the month, the Leonid meteor shower remains active throughout November, with its activity peak expected on the night of November 17 to 18 according to International Meteor Organization forecasts cited by 77.lt.
Model calculations cited by Alkas point to a maximum around November 18 at 01:45 Lithuania time.
Another model places the peak at around 18:00 on November 17 when the radiant in Leo sits below the horizon in Lithuania. Because the radiant in Leo climbs higher later in the night, the best viewing window runs from 03:00 until dawn, when the moon has set around 23:35 and leaves a dark, moonless sky. Normal years see roughly 10 to 15 meteors per hour.
Moonrise, Comet Perihelion, and Uranus Opposition Occur in November
The Moon rises in the northeast at 15:11.
It sits about 10 degrees above the horizon by the time the full phase hits, with the most scenic viewing hours spanning from 16:00 to 17:00 as it ascends through the dusk sky.
Meanwhile, periodic comet 161P/Hartley–IRAS reaches perihelion on November 27, though its faint magnitude of roughly 12 keeps it completely invisible to the naked eye.
Uranus reaches opposition in the late-night hours of November 25 to 26, placing it directly opposite the Sun. Observers can attempt to locate Uranus using binoculars during this period, though the bright, nearly full Moon will make visibility more challenging.
