Southern Taurid Meteor Shower Peaks Nov. 4-5, With Fireballs Possible Despite Bright Moon

The Southern Taurid meteor shower reaches its peak overnight on Nov. 4-5, and the people who track such things are watching it with mixed feelings. Earth is crossing the outer edge of a debris swarm shed by the comet 2P/Encke, and a near-full moon will be hanging in the same sky.

The mechanics are familiar. Fragments of ancient comets strike the atmosphere at tens of thousands of miles per hour and burn up from the friction of colliding with air molecules. The Southern Taurids have a reputation for something more dramatic than the usual streaks: fireballs, produced when an especially large piece of debris hits the atmosphere and briefly turns night into day as it flares.

This year matters because 2025 is a "swarm year" for the shower. Swarm years are thought to occur when Earth passes through a part of Encke's debris trail packed with unusually large fragments. Up to 10 bright meteors per hour may be visible at the peak. The moon, though, will wash out the fainter ones, so only the brightest are likely to show.

Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society told Space.com by email that Earth meets these larger meteors about twice a decade, at irregular intervals. Ordinary Taurid particles are about the size of pea gravel, with a few bigger ones mixed in. Swarm particles run from the size of baseballs up to basketballs, and from the ground they appear as fireballs rather than ordinary meteors.

Lunsford is cautious about this year's prospects. Because Earth is skimming only the outer edge of the swarm, he expects a less spectacular show than the previous swarm event in 2022. But he also noted that fireball activity in October has been higher than normal, which suggests the strength of this year's display may have been underestimated. He added that it is unfortunate a full moon falls during the prime portion of the display.

For anyone heading outside, EarthSky.org advises watching in the hours after midnight on the days around the peak. The meteors appear to radiate from a point in the constellation Taurus, which rises shortly after sunset and reaches its highest point in the southern sky after midnight. Viewers should allow about 30 minutes for their eyes to adjust to the dark and avoid looking directly at the moon. The suggested spot is a patch of sky about 40 degrees above Taurus, where meteor trails run longest. A clenched fist held at arm's length covers roughly 10 degrees, which makes the distance easy to gauge.

The next Southern Taurid swarm is not due until 2032, so this week offers the nearest chance to see one. Whether October's elevated fireball count carries into the peak nights is what to watch.