The Northern Taurid meteor shower peaks during the weekend, providing an opportunity to witness spectacular fireballs, if you’re lucky.
The Northern Taurid meteor shower reaches its peak overnight on November 11th, with the best displays occurring after midnight. This weekend will be an ideal time for viewing the Taurids as the moon moves into its dark new moon phase on November 13th, provided there are clear skies.
If you want to increase your chances of spotting a meteor streaking across the sky, look for the renowned “Seven Sisters” of the Pleiades star cluster in the Taurus constellation. The Northern Taurids’ radiant, the point from which the meteors seem to originate, is just below the Pleiades and above the “head” of Taurus, the bull.
If you’re not familiar with the Pleiades, start by locating the bright, pale yellow Jupiter in the eastern sky. Then, look to the lower left to find a cluster of six or seven stars, followed by a V-shaped group of stars on its side, opening to the left — the horns of the bull of the Taurus constellation.
Related: Meteor showers 2023: When is the next one?
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Interested in observing the stars and planets of the night sky? We suggest the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner’s telescope guide.
To maximize your chances of spotting a Taurid meteor, head to a dark viewing area away from light pollution, make yourself comfortable, bundle up, and spend some time watching the Taurus or Pleiades constellation. It’s recommended to allow at least half an hour for your eyes to adjust, as the Taurids should produce around five meteors per hour at their peak.
The Taurids are typically regarded as one of the slowest meteor showers, but they also tend to showcase a higher frequency of “fireballs,” which are unusually bright meteors. According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, “The Taurids are rich in fireballs, so if you see a Taurid it can be very brilliant and it’ll knock your eyes out, but their rates absolutely suck.”
The Taurid meteor showers occur when debris from the periodic Comet 2P/Encke burns up in our planet’s atmosphere. The comet has the shortest orbital period of all known comets at just 3.3 years.
Discovered in 1786 by French astronomers Pierre Méchain and Charles Messier, Comet 2P/Encke is named after German astronomer Johann Franz Encke, who was the first to predict the comet’s return after recognizing that several comet sightings in previous years were actually the same object.
While watching for Taurids, you can also get a closer look at the Pleiades and the stars of the Taurus constellation by using the right equipment. Our guides on the best telescopes and best binoculars can help you with that.
And while you’re at it, consider trying your hand at capturing your own night sky photos. Refer to our guides on how to photograph meteors and meteor showers, and check out our lists of best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s Note: If you snap an image of comet C/2023 H2 (Lemmon) and would like to share it with Space.com’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to [email protected].
