Throughout October and into November, stargazers are in for a dazzling celestial display as the Taurid meteor showers ramp up activity.
The Taurids consist of the Southern Taurid and the Northern Taurid meteor showers. According to Space.com, the Northern Taurids are set to become active on October 20 and are forecast to peak the night of November 11, while the Southern Taurids have been sparking since September and are expected to peak during the night of November 4.
The showers are created by debris trailing the comet 2P/Encke, which burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in the shooting stars we see in the night sky.
Under ideal conditions, you could see up to five meteors per hour during each shower’s period of peak activity, though the light of a full moon will likely make dimmer meteors during the Southern Taurid peak harder to spot.
The Taurids, especially the Southern shower, have been known to occasionally produce unmissable fireballs, which can light up the entire night sky, according to the American Meteor Society. Fireballs are unusually bright meteors that often leave striking trails in their wake.
As their names suggest, meteors from both the Southern Taurid and Northern Taurid meteor showers appear to originate from the constellation Taurus, which can be found in the eastern sky in the hours before midnight throughout October.
If you want to try to catch the showers, first check the weather conditions and cloud coverage in your area to make sure it’s a good time for viewing. Then head to a dark location free of light pollution and get comfortable lying on your back or sitting in a lawn chair. It will take your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness. You’ll also want to avoid looking at your phone during this time.
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