Taurid Meteor Shower

Taurid Fireballs

We’re spoiled for meteor showers this time of year. November has not one but three meteor showers throughout the month. This week, watch the skies for the Taurids, due to peak in the early mornings of the 4th and 5th November 2016.

Also in November, the Orionids continue after their peak last month and the Leonid meteor shower will peak in the early morning of the 18th November.

The Taurids are a minor meteor shower expected to produce about 5-10 meteors an hour. Unusually, these meteors come from not one but two streams of debris – dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10 and debris from Comet 2P Encke. As these dust grains hit Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, they heat up and disintegrate in flashes of light that we call meteors.

Despite the low numbers, the Taurids are worth staying up for. They’re known to produce the occasional ‘fireball‘, or exceptionally bright meteor, streaking across the sky. And for the first time in a while, the Moon will be tucked away below the horizon as the Taurids peak, leaving the sky dark and perfect for meteor viewing.

How to Watch

The Taurids are named after the constellation Taurus the Bull as this is the direction from which they appear to originate. After midnight, you’ll find Taurus high above the southern sky. While the meteors appear to originate from Taurus, they are best seen 30 degrees away from origin, so be sure to keep careful watch across the whole sky.

To view the Taurids from the UK, head outside anytime after 9pm. By this time, the Moon will have set and the sky will be dark.

Look up, keep an eye on the whole sky, and find a location as far from city lights as you can!

The Taurids don’t have a strong peak time, which means that there’s a good chance of seeing meteors on many different nights. So if it’s cloudy on the 4th and 5th, you can always try again on a nearby day.

Meteor Infographic

Download our National Space Centre Meteor Shower Guide to make sure you are fully prepared to watch the Taurids!

Other upcoming meteor showers for 2016 include:

Leonids

Comet of Origin: 55P/Tempel-Tuttle
Radiant: constellation Leo
Active: Nov. 5-30, 2016
Peak Activity: Nov. 17-18, 2016
Peak Activity Meteor Count: 15 meteors per hour
Notes: The Leonids are usually a modest shower, with the peak occurring in the dark hours before dawn. A near-full moon will likely upstage the show.

Geminids

Comet of Origin: 3200 Phaethon
Radiant: constellation Gemini
Active: Dec. 4-16, 2016
Peak Activity: Dec. 13-14, 2016
Peak Activity Meteor Count: 120 meteors per hour
Notes: The Geminids are typically one of the best and most reliable of the annual meteor showers. It’s usually one of the best opportunities for kids who don’t stay up late, because it gets going around 9 or 10pm local time. However, a full moon will outshine the shower in 2016.

Ursids

Comet of Origin: 8P/Tuttle
Radiant: constellation Ursa Minor
Active: Dec. 17-23, 2016
Peak Activity: Dec. 21-22, 2016
Peak Activity Meteor Count: 10 meteors per hour
Notes: The Ursids are a minor meteor shower radiating from the constellation Ursa Minor. This year the second quarter moon will block many of the fainter meteors.