Our pick of the planets for November 2025 is Uranus, as the ice giant reaches opposition on 21 November 2025, and will be shining at mag. +5.6 in Taurus.
Uranus will be excellently positioned for observation, reaching opposition on the 21st of the month while situated just south of the Pleiades open cluster (M45).
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Shining at magnitude +5.6, the ice giant should be visible to the naked eye from sites with dark skies, making it easier to locate than in previous years.
Through binoculars, Uranus will appear only as a sixth-magnitude star, with its characteristic green hue barely discernible.
To resolve its tiny, green-hued disc, observers will need a small telescope and at least 100x magnification.
Under steady seeing conditions, larger apertures may reveal extremely subtle banding or areas of differing brightness on the disc, a detail that advanced imaging setups can also capture.
Additionally, Uranus's five brightest moons – Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon – are viable targets for amateur equipment.
Of these, Miranda is the most challenging, shining faintly at magnitude +16.4 and staying close to the planet's glare, while the other four moons hover around 14th magnitude.
Find out what the rest of the planets are doing in our guide below.
Mercury
- Best time to see: 30 November, 1 hour before sunrise
- Altitude: 5.9°
- Location: Libra
- Direction: Southeast
Mercury is an evening planet for most of November, but is not well placed after sunset. Inferior conjunction occurs on 20 November, after which it reappears in the morning sky – the best opportunity to observe Mercury this month, when it will be mag. +0.3.
Venus
- Best time to see: 1 November, 50 minutes before sunrise
- Altitude: 6°
- Location: Virgo
- Direction: East-southeast
Morning planet nearing the Sun throughout November. Best seen at the start of the month, mag. –3.8 Venus is near mag. +1.0 Spica (Alpha (α) Virginis) at this time.
The planet appears 1.1° from Mercury on the morning of 25 November, but with Mercury at mag. +2.1 and both planets in the Sun’s glare, this will be a difficult conjunction to see.
Mars
Evening planet, but sadly not visible during November.
Jupiter
- Best time to see: 30 November, 03:20 UT
- Altitude: 58°
- Location: Virgo
- Direction: East-southeast
Jupiter is magnificent, reaching peak altitude, due south, in darkness all month. On 1 November, it’s highest at 05:15 UT, shining at mag. –2.2. Through the eyepiece, it shows a 40-arcsecond disc increasing to 44 arcseconds by month’s end, along with a slight brightness boost to mag. –2.4.
On 10 November, a 71%-lit waning gibbous Moon lies 4.2° north-northwest of Jupiter, most dramatic just before dawn at around 05:05 UT. Jupiter remains in Gemini throughout the month, slightly less than 7° south of Pollux (Beta (β) Geminorum).
Saturn
- Best time to see: 1 November, 21:00 UT
- Altitude: 33°
- Location: Aquarius
- Direction: South
Saturn is an evening planet currently in Aquarius, just south of the Circlet asterism
in Pisces. On 1 November, it appears at mag. +0.4 with an 81%-lit waxing gibbous Moon 7.3° to the west at 21:00 UT. That separation decreases to 5.5° by the time both set, at around 01:30 on 2 November.
On 29 November, mag. +0.6 Saturn has a close conjunction with a 65%-lit waxing gibbous Moon 2.5° to the south. During November, the planet’s tilt reduces to 0.4° which means it’ll appear virtually edge-on through a telescope.
Uranus
- Best time to see: 21 November, 23:55 UT
- Altitude: 57°
- Location: Taurus
- Direction: South
- Features: Colour, subtle atmospheric bands, moons
- Recommended equipment: 200mm or larger
Read our full guide to observing Uranus in November 2025.
Neptune
- Best time to see: 1 November, 21:30 UT
- Altitude: 36°
- Location: Pisces
- Direction: South
Distant Neptune is currently located near Saturn. Both reach their highest position due south in the evening sky, making them conveniently timed for observation.
Neptune requires binoculars to see; at mag. +7.8 it’s too faint for the unaided eye. A 67%-lit waxing gibbous Moon sits 2.2° to the north-northwest of the planet early on 30 November.
If you're observing or imaging the planets in November 2025, share your pics and observations with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
