Some have even said that next year is the year for another great shower. But if skies are clear either of those two nights, be sure and get out and check for any activity. This shower produced well over 600 meteors per hour for a short time last year in the Middle East. Both predictions this year are favorable for the east coast of the U.S., they're just different by one day. Twice this month, the moon passes in front of groups of stars in events called occultations.
Occultations occur when one object blocks our view of another object.
In this case, the moon is blocking our view of the much more distant stars. Binoculars will help for all the events listed below. Watch the moon as it rises on Sunday evening the 12th. The just past full moon will be passing through the northern branch of the Hyades star cluster offering many opportunities to view an occultation. The second event occurs just after midnight in the early morning hours of Friday, November 17th.