Montana's Sky Will Be Lit Up Like A Christmas Tree In November

Our Big Sky is going to light up in November! There are 5 major sky watching events this month alone. I'll have tips on how to get the best views at the end of the article.

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South Taurids Meteor Shower

Origination from the constellation Taurus the Bull the peak of this meteor shower is November 5th. Best time to watch is starting at midnight, and you can expect to see around 5 meteors an hour. What makes this one special is every 3 to 7 years, we get Taurid fireballs, an extremely bright meteor.

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Meteor Shower

Total Lunar Eclipse

The last total lunar eclipse for 3 years happens on November 8th. A total lunar eclipse is when the earth, sun and moon all align so the moon passes into the Earth's shadow. The very best to catch it here in Montana is around 3am

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Blue eclipse with highlights and crown flame

eclipse with highlights and crown flame

Uranus at Opposition

On November 9th, Uranus will be visible for most of the night, lying opposite of the Sun for most of the night. You can start watching around 7pm. but best time for viewing is around midnight, when it reaches it's brightest point.

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Planet Uranus.

View of planet Uranus from space. Space, nebula and planet Uranus. This image elements furnished by NASA.

Northern Taurid Meteor Shower

This meteor shower is on November 12th. It's the same as the Southern Taurid Meteor Shower, except it comes from the North. The cool thing is that the 2 meteor showers collide some years making for a fantastic display. Best display comes around 1 am.

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Meteor shower

Star shower taken in china

Leonids Meteor Storms

The Leonids Meteor Storms happen November 17th and 18th. This display shows up to 15 meteors an hour, and the best time to watch is from 11pm through 8 am.

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Meteor Shower

Meteor Shower. Falling stars.

Tips for an amazing star gazing session from Mental Floss

1. Get up as high as you can. Street lights and buildings will block your view. Best bet, get out of town.

2. Let your eyes adjust to darkness so you can see the stars better

3. Get a flashlight with a red filter. It keeps your vision where it needs to be to see the light from the sky more clearly.

4. First time star gazer? Just bring your binoculars.

5. Get a star chart and a few star gazing apps like google sky

6. Learn the difference in what a star looks like and what a planet looks like.

7. Dress accordingly, bring snacks, bring water

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Star gazing photo

Beautiful night sky, the Milky Way, moon and the trees. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.

LOOK: 31 breathtaking images from NASA's public library

In 2017, NASA opened the digital doors to its image and video library website, allowing the public to access more than 140,000 images, videos, and audio files. The collection provides unprecedented views of space. Stacker reviewed the collection to select 31 of the most breathtaking images, including the first from the James Webb Space Telescope. Keep reading to see these stunning images, curated with further information about the captured scenes.