Each autumn, the Earth drifts through the thin trail of dust left behind by an old comet, and in early November that old wake brings the Southern Taurids into the sky, a modest shower whose rare fireballs have long rewarded patient watchers. This year the spectacle arrives on the same night as a full supermoon, so its brightest visitors must fight through an unusually strong glow to be seen. Still, the slowness of these grains and the richness of a swarm year make the night worth stepping outside for, and for anyone willing to sit quietly under the sky, it is a reminder that the heavens keep t
Southern Taurid Fireballs Peak Under Supermoon Glare: When and Where to Watch
Low rate, but high drama.
Mark
Five meteors an hour sounds like very little. Why is this shower getting attention?
Mimi
Because the Southern Taurids are about fireballs, not counts. They're slow, bright, and can flare and leave glowing streaks, so a single one can be memorable.
Mark
And 2025 is supposed to be a swarm year?
Mimi
Yes, astronomers have identified it that way, which improves the odds of bright fireballs compared with an ordinary year.
Luke
Careful with that, though. Better odds isn't a promise. The five-per-hour figure is the typical rate, and nothing in the reporting says how many fireballs anyone will actually see on the night.
Mark
Then the supermoon is a real problem?
Mimi
It's the biggest and brightest full moon since 2019, and it's up all night. But the reasoning is that Taurid fireballs are bright enough to punch through it.
Luke
Worth noting that's a judgment, not a measurement. How many will be visible through that glare isn't quantified anywhere.
Mark
So what should someone do?
Mimi
Stay local. A yard or balcony works, since the moonlight washes out the sky everywhere. Give it an hour, face away from the moon, and dress warmly.
Luke
And check your own timing. The dates apply to mid-northern latitudes, so Stellarium or something like it is the way to confirm for your location.
Mark
Any second chance?
Mimi
The Northern Taurids peak Nov. 11-12 under a waning last quarter moon, and the Leonids follow on Nov. 16-17 in dark skies.
Le Pouls
- The Southern Taurids peak overnight on Nov. 4-5, but the bright full supermoon will wash out all but the most brilliant streaks.
- Slow, high-drama fireballs are the prize, and 2025's swarm year gives observers better odds of catching one.
- No telescope or dark-sky trip is required; a yard, balcony, or park with an hour for eyes to adjust is enough.
- The sky keeps building toward its finale, with the Northern Taurids on Nov. 11-12 and the Leonids on Nov. 16-17 under dark skies.
Each autumn, the Earth drifts through the thin trail of dust left behind by an old comet, and in early November that old wake brings the Southern Taurids into the sky, a modest shower whose rare fireballs have long rewarded patient watchers. This year the spectacle arrives on the same night as a full supermoon, so its brightest visitors must fight through an unusually strong glow to be seen. Still, the slowness of these grains and the richness of a swarm year make the night worth stepping outside for, and for anyone willing to sit quietly under the sky, it is a reminder that the heavens keep their own calendar, indifferent to the moon's brightness.
On the night of Tuesday, Nov. 4 into Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, the Southern Taurid meteor shower reaches its peak, according to the American Meteor Society. The shower has been drifting since mid-September, and this is the night it is expected to shine brightest in the Northern Hemisphere.
The shower traces back to comet 2P/Encke, whose shed dust the Earth crosses each year. Grains of that dust burn up in the atmosphere, and the rare brilliant ones, the fireballs, are what draw watchers. The Taurids are not a crowded shower, typically producing only about five meteors an hour, but their slow approach at roughly 17 miles per second lets their trails linger and flare, and 2025 has been identified as a swarm year, raising the odds of a bright show.
The complication is the moon. This peak falls on a full supermoon, the biggest and brightest since 2019, and it will glow all night. Fireballs can still cut through that light, and they will seem to radiate from Taurus, rising in the east after dark, though they may appear anywhere in the sky.
The advice is simple. No special equipment is needed, and because moonlight is bright everywhere, a dark-sky site is unnecessary. A yard, balcony, or nearby park will do. Bring a reclining chair and warm layers, give your eyes at least an hour to adjust, and keep the moon out of your line of sight.
The month holds more. The Northern Taurids peak Nov. 11-12, and the Leonids arrive Nov. 16-17 with around 15 meteors an hour under moonless skies. For exact timing at your location, a planetarium tool such as Stellarium is recommended.
On the night of Tuesday, Nov. 4, into Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, the Southern Taurid meteor shower reaches its peak, according to the American Meteor Society. The shower has been running since mid-September, a stretch of about two months, and this is the night it is expected to be at its strongest in the Northern Hemisphere.
The source of the show is comet 2P/Encke. A meteor shower happens when Earth passes through dust a comet has shed. Tiny grains hit the atmosphere, energize it, and release that energy as light, and the glowing trail of a single grain is what people call a shooting star. The Southern Taurids are not a crowded shower. They typically produce only about five meteors an hour. What they offer instead are occasional fireballs, which are very bright shooting stars, and the slow ones can flare, fragment, and leave glowing streaks that persist in the sky.
Taurids drift in at roughly 17 miles per second, slow by the standards of meteor showers, which makes their trails easier to follow and more striking. Astronomers have also identified 2025 as a swarm year for the Taurids, so the odds of seeing fireballs are better than average.
The complication is the moon. The peak night coincides with a full supermoon, the biggest and brightest full moon since 2019, and it will shine all night. Even so, Taurid fireballs are bright enough that watching is still worthwhile. If one cuts through the glare, it will appear to radiate from the constellation Taurus, which rises in the east after dark just beneath the moon, though fireballs can show up anywhere in the sky.
The practical advice is modest. This is not a shower worth traveling for, and no special equipment is needed. Because the moonlight is bright everywhere, there is no benefit in seeking a dark-sky site or escaping city lights. A yard, a balcony, or a nearby park will do. Bring a reclining chair and warm layers, and allow at least an hour so your eyes can fully adapt. Face south or north, away from the moon, and keep it out of your line of sight.
The month holds more. The Southern Taurids continue through Nov. 20. Their sister shower, the Northern Taurids, peaks Nov. 11-12, with another chance at bright fireballs under a waning last quarter moon. The fast, bright Leonids peak overnight on Nov. 16-17, producing around 15 meteors an hour, and they will have dark, moonless skies to work with because a new moon, a smaller-than-usual micromoon, arrives on Nov. 20. November closes with a Venus-Mercury pairing before sunrise on Nov. 25 and Mercury's best morning appearance of the year on Nov. 30.
The dates and times given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For location-specific timing, an online planetarium such as Stellarium is the suggested tool.
Citations marquantes
2025 is a swarm year for the Taurids, so there are better-than-average odds of fireballs.— Astronomers, as reported by Forbes
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