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While the Taurid meteor shower doesn’t have many shooting stars to offer, the few that will shoot across the sky can be bright and spectacular fireballs.
The annual “shooting star” display, which is active during the last three months of the year, is actually a combination of two meteor showers – the Northern Taurids and the Southern Taurids – both associated with comet Encke. Sky watchers in the northern and southern hemispheres will have two different peak viewing times. But the estimated dates have some wiggle room, as meteor rates will be consistently low throughout the meteor shower.
In 2020, the southern Taurid meteor shower, visible from the southern hemisphere, peaked in early November. Northern Taurida meteor shower peaks overnight November 11 to 12 and is visible from the northern hemisphere. However, viewers in both hemispheres can still see meteors until the end of November, according to NASA weather expert Bill Cooke.
Related: The 2020 Taurid meteor shower is peaking soon. Here’s what to expect.
“Taurids are rich in fireballs, so if you see a Taurid it can be very bright and it will knock you out, but their rate is absolutely zero,” Cooke told Space.com. “It’s just the fact that when a Taurid appears, he’s usually tall and shiny.” Typically, Taurids produce only a handful of visible meteors per hour.
“Crumbs” from Comet Encke
As Comet Encke circles the sun, it leaves a trail of comet crumbs in its wake. In some years, when Jupiter’s orbit brings the planet closer to the comet’s track, the gas giant’s gravity pushes the flow of particles from the comet toward Earth, so more meteors are visible to observers here. Astronomers call this an “explosion”. This is not expected to happen again until 2022, according to the American Meteor Society.
Most meteor showers come from tiny fragments that burn in Earth’s atmosphere, but calculations indicate that debris from Comet Encke could produce meteors large enough to survive the trip on the ground.
These meteorites have yet to be discovered, Cooke said, adding that such a discovery would be a “holy grail of meteorites.” No one knows how big a Taurid meteorite could be, but Cooke said the comet pieces would weigh a few ounces.
Related: How comets cause meteor showers
When to see them
Cooke said it can be difficult to choose the best day to search for the Taurids, as the meteor shower is visible for several weeks. The best results will occur in the early morning (just before dawn) from any dark location. On peak days, there may be only a few more meteors per hour than on other days, so the difference is barely noticeable, he said.
“The rates are low, so be prepared to look around for a while,” Cooke said.
Observers may also spot stray shooting stars unrelated to Taurids. These will appear to originate from somewhere other than the constellation Taurus, Taurus, and will travel in random directions across the night sky. Moonlight will not interfere excessively with the northern Taurid summit, but watch for it at other times around the summit (and try to time your observations when the moon is not in the sky).
Where to look
Taurids can be seen almost everywhere on Earth, with the exception of the South Pole. They seem to come from the constellation Taurus, the bull. To find Taurus, look for the constellation Orion, then look northeast to find the red star Aldebaran, the star in the bull’s eye.
Do not look directly at Taurus for meteors; shooting stars will be visible all over the night sky. Make sure you move your gaze around nearby constellations. Meteors closer to the radiant have shorter trails and are more difficult to spot. If you only look at Taurus you might miss the shooting stars with the most spectacular trails.
What causes the Taurids?
Taurids originate from Comet Encke, a short-term periodic comet that circles the sun about once every 3.3 years. It was first spotted by Pierre Mechain in 1786 and was first recognized as a periodic comet in the 1800s by Johann Franz Encke.
As the comet moves through the solar system, it leaves behind pieces of material called meteorites. If these pieces of comets enter Earth’s atmosphere, they are called meteors. The friction they encounter while traveling through the Earth’s atmosphere warms them, sometimes making them visible from the ground. Those pieces that reach the ground, if ever found, would be called meteorites.
How to get the best view
Meteor showers do not require any special equipment to be viewed. Simply travel to a dimly lit area away from big cities. Sit comfortably on your back, looking straight up at the sky. This will allow you to see more meteors than looking in one direction.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace, and follow Space.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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