The Taurids are an annual meteor shower, associated with the comet Encke. The Taurids are two separate showers with a Southern and a Northern Component – consisting of the ‘Southern Taurids’ and ‘Northern Taurids’. It is a highlight for stargazers each fall.
The Northern Taurids – produced by dust grains left behind by asteroid 2004 TG10 – will glow brightly as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere this week, and will be visible with the naked eye.
Viewing conditions for the Taurids are good for the Southern Taurids but may wash out the Northern Taurids this year.
The Taurids are visible practically anywhere on Earth, except for the South Pole. Meteor showers are named after the constellation from which the meteors appear to emanate, known as the radiant. From Earth’s perspective, the Taurid meteor shower appears to come approximately from the direction of the Taurus constellation.
To best see the Taurids meteor shower, go to the darkest possible location, lean back and relax. You don’t need any equipment like telescopes or binoculars as the secret is to take in as much sky as possible and allow about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark.
This year, the Southern Taurids peaked on Nov. 5, and the Northern Taurids reach their peak on Nov. 12, as reported by the American Meteor Society. These showers, known for their slow-moving, long-lasting meteors have a nucleus approximately 2.98 miles (4.8 km) in diameter.
This year, viewing conditions for the South Taurid meteor shower were favorable, with the moon only about 15% illuminated during the peak, allowing for better visibility of meteors. However, the North Taurid meteor shower may be impacted by the moon’s 84% illumination, which could obscure some of the fainter meteors.
There are some other meteor showers like Perseid meteor shower and Orionid meteor shower 2024.
“The Taurids are rich in fireballs, so if one sees a Taurid shower it can be very brilliant and it’ll knock eyes out, but their rates absolutely suck”: as per a NASA meteor expert. It’s simply the fact that when a Taurid appears it’s usually big and bright. Typically, the Taurids produce only a handful of visible meteors per hour. When the Taurids occur in late October they are sometimes referred to as “Halloween fireballs”.
Taurid meteors tend to be larger than other meteors and can survive for longer periods as they pass through Earth’s atmosphere. According to NASA, Orionids for example, typically burn up at altitudes around 58 miles (93 km) whereas Taurids typically make it as far as 42 miles (66 km). They also travel relatively slowly, traversing the sky at about 17 miles (27 kilometers) per second or 65,000 miles (104,000 km) per hour. The Perseids, on the other hand, zip through the sky at 37 miles (59 km) per second.
As per astronomy and astronomers, Taurus constellation position is: Right ascension: 4 hours; Declination: 15 degrees; and, Visible between: Latitudes 90 degrees and minus 65 degrees.
To find Taurus, look for the constellation Orion and then peer to the northeast to find the red star Aldebaran, the star in the bull’s eye. Don’t look directly at Taurus to find meteors; the shooting stars will be visible all over the night sky. Make sure to move gaze around the nearby constellations. Meteors closer to the radiant have shorter trails and are more difficult to spot. If one looks only at Taurus, one might miss the shooting stars with the most spectacular trails.
If one wants more advice on how to photograph the Taurids, consult known astrophotography centers.
The best time to view the Taurid meteor shower — both the northern and southern streams — is around midnight when the shower’s radiant, the Taurus constellation, is high in the sky. The Southern Taurids are active from around Sept. 28 until Dec. 2 and peak around Nov. 4 and Nov. 5 while the Northern Taurids are active between Oct. 13 and Dec. 2 and peak around Nov. 11 and Nov. 12.
This year, early November may be the best time to view the Taurid meteor shower when both showers overlap and the moon is not as illuminated.
What causes the Taurid Meteor Shower?
The Taurid meteor shower is caused by the debris — ice and dust — from comet 2P/Encke as it passes through our solar system. The debris stream from Encke is so large and spread out that it takes Earth a rather long time to pass through the entirety of the debris which is why we experience two separate segments of the shower — the Northern Taurids and the Southern Taurids, according to Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG).
Usually, comets are named after their discoverers or the observatory or telescope involved in the discovery. However, Comet Encke was named after German astronomer Johann Franz Encke who was responsible for calculating the comet’s orbit. Encke has the shortest orbital period of any known comet within solar system, taking just 3.3 years to orbit the sun.
Each time comet Encke returns to the inner solar system, its nucleus sheds ice and rock into space into a vast debris stream. When Earth passes through the debris the “comet crumbs” heat up as they enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up in bright bursts of light, streaking a vivid path across the sky.
Comet Encke and the Taurid meteor shower are thought to be the remnants of a far larger comet that broke apart over the last 20,000 to 30,000 years, according to RMG.
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