Each Monday, I pick out North America's celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the northern hemisphere), but be sure to check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.

There's much to see in the night sky this week, from a rising full moon to a powerful meteor shower. However, take some time to look around after dark because there are so many celestial sights to see. Look west after dark for bright Venus, then swivel to the west to see Jupiter -- just a few days past its annual opposition -- among the star of Taurus, with the Pleiades, a spectacular open cluster of seven bright stars, above it and visible to the naked eye. Add a rising Mars and the scene is set for a planet parade -- and much more.

Here's everything you need to know about stargazing and sky-watching this week:

Although the waxing gibbous moon dominates the night sky, it will still be possible to glimpse the Pleiades between it and Jupiter. Look east after dark.

This isn't going to be a vintage year for the Geminids, which this year is peaking under the brightness of an almost full moon. Will you see all 120 "shooting stars" per hour at the peak tonight, around midnight? Absolutely not, but if you see a colorful streak in the sky at any point this week, it will likely come from the constellation Gemini -- therefore, it's likely a Geminid. The asteroid 3200 Phaethon produces them.

The twelfth and final full moon of 2024 and the third of fall in the northern hemisphere, the "Cold Moon" -- also known as the "Long Nights Moon" and the "Moon Before Yule" -- will rise with four bright lights around it. As it rises and twilight turns dark, you'll see Capella in Auriga to its upper left, Pollux in Gemini to its lower left, Jupiter to its upper right, and Betelgeuse to its lower right.

The "Cold Moon" will be the highest-hanging of the year, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The moon mirrors the sun's path across the sky. Since the sun is at its lowest in the sky this month, as seen from the northern hemisphere, the full moon -- which is always directly opposite the sun -- must be at its highest. It will also be in the night sky for longer than any other full moon of the year.