Each autumn the sky offers a small, unscheduled gift: the Southern Taurid meteor shower, a slow trickle of streaks drifting from the remains of a comet that circles the sun every few years. This year its peak falls on the evening of November 5, with modest numbers but the rare chance of fireballs, meteors so bright they outshine Venus. For those willing to stand in the cold and wait with patience, it is a reminder that the solar system is still shedding its old material, and that the Earth passes through it whether anyone is watching or not.
Southern Taurid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend, Offering Chance at Rare Fireballs
Meteors are a transitory part of the night sky
Mark
Five meteors an hour doesn't sound like much. Why is anyone excited about this one?
Mimi
Because the Taurids are about quality over quantity. They're known for fireballs, meteors brighter than Venus, and that's what people hope to catch.
Mark
Why are they so bright?
Mimi
Size. Most showers are millimeter-sized grains, but Taurid meteoroids can be up to about 1 meter long, according to Bill Cooke at NASA.
Luke
Worth being careful there. Up to a meter is the ceiling, not the norm. The source doesn't say how often pieces that big show up.
Mark
And the moon? Half-full seems like it would spoil things.
Mimi
It's 44 percent full near the peak. Cooke says that hurts faint meteors, but the Taurids are bright enough that it likely won't interfere.
Luke
Note the word likely. That's his judgment, not a guarantee.
Mark
Should people expect a show, then?
Mimi
Not really. Rates are expected to be low this year, and NASA's cameras have seen only one or two Taurids a night so far. The better year was 2022, and the next swarm is predicted for 2025.
Luke
Which is also a prediction. And Cooke himself says surprises are possible, so nobody can promise what Sunday night looks like.
El Pulso
- The peak arrives Sunday evening, yet only about five meteors an hour are expected, so the night asks for patience rather than spectacle.
- A 44 percent moon threatens to wash out faint streaks, though the Taurids' brightness may keep them visible above the glare.
- Observers are urged to set aside telescopes, look away from the moon, and watch the open sky after midnight, weather permitting.
- Fireballs up to a meter wide may flare overhead, but scientists say any surviving fragments will be too small to cause harm.
- Rates remain low this year, and the next Taurid swarm is not expected until 2025, so the wait for a richer show is already underway.
Each autumn the sky offers a small, unscheduled gift: the Southern Taurid meteor shower, a slow trickle of streaks drifting from the remains of a comet that circles the sun every few years. This year its peak falls on the evening of November 5, with modest numbers but the rare chance of fireballs, meteors so bright they outshine Venus. For those willing to stand in the cold and wait with patience, it is a reminder that the solar system is still shedding its old material, and that the Earth passes through it whether anyone is watching or not.
On Sunday evening, November 5, the Southern Taurid meteor shower reaches its peak, and with it comes a quiet promise: the chance of fireballs, meteors that burn brighter than Venus. The American Meteor Society puts the peak at 8:47 p.m. Eastern, but the sky itself will be sparing. Expect only about five meteors an hour, a thin harvest after a shower that has been active since late September.
Bill Cooke, who leads NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, offers simple advice. Go outside after midnight, wherever you are, if the clouds allow. Turn away from the moon, which will be about 44 percent full, and let your eyes take in as much sky as possible. Leave the telescope at home, since its narrow view misses most of what a meteor shower offers.
The Taurids are unusual because of their size. Most showers come from particles only millimeters long, but Taurid meteoroids can reach a meter. Most burn away high above the ground, and any fragments that land will be too small to do harm.
The shower traces its source to Comet Encke, which has the shortest orbit of any known comet, about 3.3 years. Earth crosses the comet's trail each year, and this year the crossing is expected to be quiet. Scientists anticipate the next richer swarm in 2025. Until then, the Southern Taurids continue until December 8, overlapping with the Northern Taurids, which peak November 12.
The peak of the Southern Taurid meteor shower arrives at 8:47 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, November 5, according to the American Meteor Society. For anyone willing to stand outside and wait, it offers a chance at something the shower is known for: fireballs, meteors that look brighter than Venus, which is the second brightest object in the night sky after the moon.
The odds are modest. The Southern Taurids typically produce only about five meteors an hour, and the shower has been active since late September. NASA's meteor cameras have been catching only one or two Taurids a night so far, said Bill Cooke, who leads NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. His advice is to go out after midnight, in whatever time zone you are in, weather permitting, and to be ready for a long stay.
The moon will be about 44 percent full near the peak, according to the American Meteor Society. That much moonlight can wash out faint meteors, but Cooke said the Taurids tend to be bright enough that it will likely not get in the way. He suggested looking away from the moon, with no preferred direction, and taking in as much sky as possible. He also said to skip the telescope, since its field of view is too small for a meteor shower. Your eyes work best.
The brightness comes from size. Most meteor showers are made of meteoroids only millimeters long, Cooke said, but Taurid meteoroids can reach about 1 meter, or 3 feet. Most will burn up before reaching the ground. Any that do land as meteorites, the term for a meteoroid that survives the trip, will have broken into smaller pieces and will not be big enough to cause damage, he said.
The Southern Taurids come from Comet Encke, which has the shortest orbit of any known comet in the solar system, about 3.3 years, according to NASA. It was last seen from Earth on October 22, at perihelion, its closest point to the sun. The comet sheds a trail of debris, and the shower appears when Earth's orbit crosses that path.
Despite the comet's recent pass, the shower is expected to produce low rates this year. Both Taurid showers ran higher than usual in 2022, a phenomenon called the Taurid swarm, caused by Jupiter's gravity concentrating debris ahead of Earth's path. Scientists predict the next swarm in 2025, Cooke said. "Last year was a good year for the Taurids, 2023 and 2024, not so much," he said, while adding that he never says never, because the unexpected can happen.
The Southern Taurids will keep appearing until December 8, according to the American Meteor Society. They currently overlap with the Northern Taurids, active since mid-October, which peak next Sunday, November 12.
For those who want more, three other showers peak in 2023: the Leonids on November 17-18, the Geminids on December 13-14, and the Ursids on December 21-22. The Farmers' Almanac lists two remaining full moons: the Beaver moon on November 27 and the Cold moon on December 26.
Citas Notables
Last year was a good year for the Taurids, 2023 and 2024, not so much.— Bill Cooke, lead of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office
Look away from the moon, take in as much sky as you can, and use your eyes rather than a telescope.— Bill Cooke, paraphrased
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