Get ready for fireballs: Taurid meteor showers set to light up November skies with fiery displays

Taurid meteor showers set to light up November skies with fiery displays (Image: Canva)

As nights grow longer and cooler, skywatchers have a reason to look up. Two annual meteor showers, the Southern Taurids and Northern Taurids, are now active and expected to put on a celestial show through November.

When and where can you see the Taurids?
The Southern Taurids have been active since 20 September and will reach their peak on the night of 4–5 November. The Northern Taurids will follow, becoming most visible overnight on 11–12 November. Both showers appear to originate from the constellation Taurus, which rises in the eastern sky before midnight throughout October and November.

Under dark, clear skies, stargazers may spot up to five meteors per hour during peak nights. But the full moon at the time of the Southern Taurid peak could make weaker meteors more difficult to notice.

Why are the Taurids known for fireballs?
What is unique about these meteor showers is their occasional ability to produce bright fireballs that can momentarily illuminate the night sky. When both the Southern and Northern Taurids are active, there tends to be a significant surge of fireball activity, says the American Meteor Society. These dramatic meteors can even outshine Venus and leave trails of glowing fragments behind as they blaze across the sky.

What produces the Taurid meteor showers?
Both showers originate from debris that is shed by comet 2P/Encke as it revolves around the sun every 3.3 years. As the Earth passes through the comet's extensive trail of rock and dust, the particles incinerate in the air to form the brilliant streaks of light that can be seen on the ground.

Fireballs take place when larger pieces, occasionally a few inches or even several feet across, come into the atmosphere of Earth at high velocity. They blaze explosively, giving an appearance that can illuminate night into day for a brief period.

As November rolls around, sky watchers everywhere will get to see one of the most spectacular cosmic sights of nature, reminding us of the wonder and intrigue just beyond our horizon.