Each autumn, Earth drifts through the thin wake of a comet that has been shedding its dust since long before anyone thought to name it, and this week that old debris arrives in a richer form. The Southern Taurid meteor shower, fed by Comet Encke, reaches its peak on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and 2025 has been marked as a swarm year, when Earth crosses a denser band of larger fragments. Yet the sky is not entirely cooperative, since a nearly full moon will bleach out the faintest streaks, leaving the brightest fireballs to carry the show.
Southern Taurid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week With Bright Fireballs; Moonlight May Dim the Show
Baseballs up to basketballs, burning up overhead
Each autumn, Earth drifts through the thin wake of a comet that has been shedding its dust since long before anyone thought to name it, and this week that old debris arrives in a richer form. The Southern Taurid meteor shower, fed by Comet Encke, reaches its peak on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and 2025 has been marked as a swarm year, when Earth crosses a denser band of larger fragments. Yet the sky is not entirely cooperative, since a nearly full moon will bleach out the faintest streaks, leaving the brightest fireballs to carry the show.
The Southern Taurid meteor shower is due to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and this year its fireballs may be more striking than usual. The shower traces back to Comet Encke, whose dust trail Earth passes through each year between September and November. According to the American Meteor Society, particles burn up at high speed as they enter the atmosphere.
This year is a swarm year, meaning Earth is crossing a part of the trail packed with larger fragments. Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society explained that these particles are roughly the size of baseballs to basketballs, compared with the pea-gravel-sized debris of typical Taurids. From the ground, they appear as fireballs that can briefly light up the night. Up to 10 bright meteors an hour may be visible, and midnight is considered the best time to look.
The moon, however, is a complication. A nearly full moon may wash out fainter meteors, so skywatchers should expect reduced visibility on both peak nights, though the brightest fireballs have the best chance of standing out.
The Southern Taurid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, according to a UPI report dated Nov. 4. The shower is known for fireballs, bright streaks that cross the night sky, and this week they arrive under a nearly full moon.
The shower comes from Comet Encke. According to the American Meteor Society, it is active between September and November, as debris left in the comet's wake enters Earth's atmosphere at high speed. Earth passes through that trail of dust each year, and the particles burn up overhead.
This week's peak overlaps with two other showers. The Northern Taurids and the Orionids are also present, which the association says raises the chance of seeing fireballs as cosmic debris burns up in the atmosphere.
Space.com describes what the Southern Taurid fireballs can do: they can momentarily turn night to day as they flare up in the sky.
The year matters too. 2025 is a swarm year, meaning Earth is crossing a part of Encke's tail that holds a large number of fragments. In a swarm year, up to 10 bright meteors may be visible each hour.
Robert Lunsford, an expert with the American Meteor Society, explained the difference in an email to Space.com. Normal Taurid particles are usually about the size of pea gravel, with a few larger ones mixed in. The swarm particles are larger, ranging from the size of baseballs up to basketballs. From the ground, he said, they will look like fireballs rather than ordinary meteors.
EarthSky says the best time to watch is around midnight.
The moon is the complication. Light from a nearly full moon might interfere with the show, so the fainter meteors may be hard to pick out. The brightest fireballs are the likeliest to cut through the glare. Skywatchers should expect reduced visibility on both peak nights, even with the swarm in play.
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Swarm particles are only the size of baseballs up to basketballs, but will appear as fireballs from the ground instead of normal meteors.— Robert Lunsford, American Meteor Society, to Space.com
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