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Just two weeks after the Orionids honored us with their glittering presence, observers can look forward to a new shower of meteors. The month of November is usually the time of year when we can witness the Taurides Peak – one of the most enduring meteor showers of the year.
The Taurid meteor shower has been active for several months, from late September to early December, which means that opportunities to spot meteors are increasing.
The disadvantage is that, as Tauridae are widely dispersed and generally scattered, this meteor shower tends to be much less prolific than the others – usually producing only a handful of visible meteors at the time .
This year, the Taurides are expected to rain at a rate of about five meteors per hour. In comparison, the Orionid meteor shower – announced in 2018 as being more modest than previous years – produced up to 25 meteors per hour, as indicated by the report Inquisitr.
Although the celestial display by the Taurides can be considered a little thin, their appearance in the night sky is by no means modest. This is due to the fact that the taurid meteor shower is famous for having illuminated the sky with fireballs that attract the eye – exceptionally bright meteors that appear in a high percentage during the Taurides.
Big balls of fire: the meteor shower Taurid is here https://t.co/Iz2jj49oEC pic.twitter.com/oYihZDHfwV
– WWL-TV (@WWLTV) November 3, 2018
Another advantage of the Taurid 2018 meteorite rain is that, unlike the Orionids, shooting stars will not be swept by the glare of the moon. This should provide some memorable observations of the splendid Taurides – especially if you venture further out of the city lights to enjoy the show.
The interesting thing about the Taurid meteor shower is that it is divided into two distinct branches, known as Southern Tauridae and Northern Tauridae. according to EarthSkyThe cause of this particular phenomenon is related to the interference of the planet Jupiter with the long current of the Taurides.
Southern Taurids illuminate the sky in the Southern Hemisphere and last from 25 September to 25 November. In the meantime, Northern Taurids are visible in the Northern Hemisphere from October 12 until December 2. EarthSky notes in a separate report.
This means that sky observers will have a different viewing time for the Taurides who reach a peak, depending on their location on the globe. Space.
While the peak of the Taurid meteor shower has no definite date (different sources pointing to different days of the autumn calendar), one of the scheduled dates for the Taurid peak falls this weekend.
Tauride fireballs this weekend? "Although a modest rain, offering perhaps 5 meteors per hour, the taurid shower is known to produce dramatic fireballs." via @earthskyscience
Image by Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona.https: //t.co/XU6I0WR1WR pic.twitter.com/gCnoCfEJdM
– Meteor Crater (@MeteorCraterAZ) November 3, 2018
The Taurides will extend into the night sky on November 4, until dawn. The date marks the climax of the southern Taurids, but shooting stars are usually enriched by their twin meteor shower, which "always adds a few meteors to the mix during the Southern Taurid's peak night," notes EarthSky.
"Observation of the peak for a few hours, centered around November 1, local time, November 5. But the south and north meteors continue to rain all the next week, without any slight interference with the moonlight! "
Next weekend, it's the turn of the Northern Taurides to shine in the sky. This second branch of the Taurides meteor shower rains on the night of November 11 and will continue to spin the show until dawn.
HOW COOL, HUH!? ✨✨✨
"They are currently flying and reaching the peak of November activity … .tttt: //t.co/j39Jzed9dC
– River Bluff Apts (@RiverBluffApts) November 3, 2018
The Taurides are named after the constellation Taurus ("The Bull"), the point in the sky from where they seem to come from. However, the real source of meteorite rain is comet 2P / Encke – a short-term periodic comet that revolves around the sun once every 3.3 years.
When the comet turns around the sun, it leaves behind a long trail of meteoroids, tiny celestial debris that come into contact with the Earth's atmosphere every time our planet crosses the path of the comet. Once in the atmosphere, the meteoroids illuminate in an explosive explosion and spin into the sky like shooting stars.
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