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A taurid fireball captured in 2015.
P. Spurny / Czech Academy of Sciences
One of the most explosive meteor showers of the year is active and is expected to reach a peak of activity soon, which is good news if you like to see a small fire in the sky.
The Southern Taurid and Northern Taurid showers are active now and tend to produce a lot of sizzle in the form of fireballs that light up the skies. The Southern Taurid Branch has already peaked, but may still contribute to the overall fireball count. Northern Taurids are expected to peak at peak activity Wednesday night and into the next morning, according to the American Meteor Society, or AMS.
Taurids are produced when Earth drifts through a debris cloud left by Comet 2P / Encke at this time each year. Small chunks of dust can be seen burning in our upper atmosphere as “shooting stars”, while larger chunks of space rock can produce more dramatic fireballs.
The Taurids are not as well known as other meteor showers like the Perseids or even the Leonids, which are also active in November. They don’t produce as many meteors per hour as the more famous showers, but the taurids are well known for generally adding a healthy dose of fireballs to the night sky in late October and early November.
About every seven years the Taurids are especially active, but we won’t see it again until 2022. Still, you could see a handful of shooting stars and maybe even one fireball per hour if you venture around midnight with ideal conditions. .
Photos of the 2020 Perseid meteor shower glow brightly in a dark year
See all photos
It is possible to see them earlier in the evening, although a little less likely. However, closer to dusk, you may be able to see a rare “herbivore” along the horizon.
Whenever you go hunting taurids, start by getting as far away from light pollution as possible and find a spot with a wide, unobstructed view of the sky. Buckle up if necessary and then sit back, let your eyes adjust, relax, and watch.
It may seem that the Taurids emanate from nearby the constellation Taurus, the bull, which is also next to the famous star cluster, the Pleiades. However, it is not necessary to focus on this part of the sky, as the Taurids may be visible in other parts of the night sky, but they will generally drift away from Taurus.
Enjoy a little fire in the sky and pass me any epic fireball photo you catch me. @EricCMack, On twitter.
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