November 2026 Night Sky Guide for Northwest Arkansas: Leonids, Planets and the Beaver Moon

November is one of the best stargazing months of the year in Northwest Arkansas. The nights get long, the humidity of summer is gone, and the sky gets crisp and clear after a cold front blows through. Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 1, so darkness arrives around 6 p.m. That means you can get real stargazing in before bedtime, even on a school night.

Here's what's worth looking up for in November 2026, when to look, and how to make the most of it from Bentonville and the rest of the Ozarks.

Key dates at a glance

• November 1: Daylight saving time ends. Clocks fall back an hour, and evenings get dark early.
• November 1–2: Last quarter Moon, with the Moon passing close to Mars and Jupiter in the morning sky.
• November 9: New Moon. The darkest skies of the month are the nights on either side of this date.
• Around November 9–12: The Northern Taurids are near their peak.
• November 17: First quarter Moon.
• Night of November 17–18: Leonid meteor shower peak.
• November 24: Full Moon, the "Beaver Moon," near the Pleiades star cluster.
• November 25: Uranus at opposition, when it's up all night.

The Leonid meteor shower (night of November 17–18)

The Leonids are the headline event of the month. Every November, Earth passes through the trail of dust left behind by Comet Tempel-Tuttle. Those tiny bits of comet hit our atmosphere at about 44 miles per second, which makes Leonid meteors some of the fastest of any shower. Fast meteors are often bright, and some leave glowing trails that hang in the sky for a second or two.

According to EarthSky's 2026 Leonid guide, the best time to watch is late on the night of November 17 until dawn on November 18. The meteors seem to come from the constellation Leo, which rises in the east around midnight. The higher Leo climbs, the more meteors you're likely to see, so the hours between midnight and the first light of dawn are best.

The timing is kind this year. The Moon is at first quarter on November 17, which means it sets around midnight, right when the show gets going. That leaves the prime hours dark.

Set your expectations, though. In a typical year the Leonids produce about 10 to 15 meteors an hour under dark skies. The famous Leonid "storms," with thousands of meteors an hour, happened in years like 1966 and 2001, and none is expected in 2026. A steady handful of fast, bright streaks is still a great reason to bundle up and lie back.

The Taurids: slow fireballs early in the month

The Taurids are a long, gentle shower that runs through much of October and November. They don't produce many meteors, often only around five an hour, but they're known for slow, bright fireballs. The Northern Taurids peak around November 9–12, which lines up with the New Moon on November 9. That makes the second week of November a good time for a casual look up on any clear evening. You don't need to stay up late, because the Taurids are active from evening onward.

Planets to find in November 2026

You don't need a telescope to spot most of the planets. Here's where to look:

• Saturn is the easy evening planet. Look to the south after dark for a steady, golden "star" that doesn't twinkle. Even a small telescope will show its rings.
• Jupiter and Mars are morning objects this month, shining in the constellation Leo before dawn. If you're already up for the Leonids, you'll see them in the same part of the sky. On the mornings of November 1–2, the waning Moon passes very close to both.
• Venus reappears in the morning sky after passing between Earth and the Sun in late October, and it gets brighter and higher as the month goes on. Mercury also shows up low in the east before sunrise later in the month.
• Uranus reaches opposition on November 25, so it's up all night. It's just barely visible to the naked eye under very dark skies, but it's an easy find with binoculars once you know where to point them in Taurus.

The Beaver Moon and the Pleiades (November 24)

November's full Moon is traditionally called the Beaver Moon. One explanation is that this was the time of year when beavers finished building their winter lodges, and when trappers set their traps before the swamps froze. This year's full Moon lands on November 24, and on the evenings around it, the Moon sits near the Pleiades. The Pleiades, also called the Seven Sisters, is a tight little cluster of young blue stars that looks like a tiny dipper. It's beautiful in binoculars.

A full Moon washes out faint stars and meteors, so it's a bad night for deep sky viewing. It's a great night for looking at the Moon itself, though, and for getting kids interested in the sky.

Where to stargaze near Bentonville

The single biggest upgrade to any night of stargazing is getting away from town lights. A few options in and around Northwest Arkansas:

• Your own backyard: Turn off porch lights and give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Bright meteors and planets are visible even from town.
• Hobbs State Park–Conservation Area: East of Rogers along Highway 12, this large park is darker than the cities and has hosted night sky programs. Check the park's hours and event calendar before you go.
• Buffalo National River: About a two-hour drive from Bentonville, it's an International Dark Sky Park, and on a clear night the Milky Way is easy to see there.

Wherever you go, check the forecast for clouds, tell someone your plans, and follow posted park hours.

Tips for a comfortable night under the stars

• Dress warmer than you think you need to. Late November nights in the Ozarks can drop near freezing, and lying still makes you colder fast. Layers, a hat and gloves help a lot.
• Bring something to lie on. A reclining lawn chair or a blanket on a sleeping pad lets you see the whole sky without a sore neck.
• Skip the phone screen. Bright screens ruin your night vision. If you need light, use a red flashlight or turn your phone's brightness all the way down.
• Be patient. Meteors come in bursts. Give yourself at least an hour.
• Bring a guide. A simple star guide makes it much easier to find Leo, Taurus and the Pleiades.

Amazon Picks for your November sky nights

These are a few Amazon Picks that fit a night of stargazing, or the cozy evening after:

• National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Night Sky: A friendly, well-illustrated guide to the constellations, planets and meteor showers, written for beginners.
• The Astronomy Book (DK Big Ideas): A big-picture tour of the ideas and discoveries behind what you're looking at.
• Unemployed Philosophers Guild Constellation Mug: A heat-changing mug that reveals the constellations when you pour in hot cocoa. It's a fun way to warm up when you come inside.
• BRIGHTWORLD Moon Lamp: A glowing Moon for the nightstand, for the cloudy nights when the real one is hiding.

Keep looking up

November gives you early darkness, a well-timed meteor shower, a bright show of planets and a full Moon beside the Pleiades. Pick a clear night, get away from the lights and give your eyes time to adjust. And if you find a space-themed treasure along the way, check out the one-of-a-kind finds in Spock's Closet.

Live long and prosper.