"Fireball" meteors are possible over the US this evening as the South Taurid meteor shower peaks • stonescape

Two meteor showers with long, broad peaks will bring “shooting stars” to night skies around the world this month starting tonight.

First comes the Southern Taurids, which run from September 23rd to November 12th and peak overnight on November 4th to 5th. Then come the Northern Taurids, active from October 13th to December 2nd and peaking overnight from November 11th to 12th.

Although these are the peaks, both showers last for a long time. This means they have broad peaks where you can expect around five shooting stars per hour. The two showers are also merging, increasing your chances of seeing an unpredictable meteor this week.

When it comes to the number of shooting stars, the Southern and Northern Taurids may not be very numerous, but what they do offer are fireballs. These exceptionally bright meteors can be seen over a very wide area, it is said Center for Near Earth Object Studies. Because of their timing, these shooting stars are sometimes called “Halloween fireballs.”

Related: Phew! There are no “doomsday” asteroids hiding in the debris stream of the famous broken comet

Both meteor showers are caused by debris left behind in the inner solar system by the orbiting comet 2P/Encke the sun every 3.25 years – the shortest orbital period of all known comets in the solar system NASA. It was last seen here in October 2023 and is scheduled to happen again in early 2027, but sky watchers can expect to see shooting stars from the comet's debris regardless of the year.

This year the southern Taurids are more likely to impress. The peak occurs while the moon is in its waxing crescent phase, meaning Earth's natural satellite causes little light pollution and sinks below the horizon shortly after sunset. This is not the case with the Northern Taurids, whose peak occurs under a waxing crescent moon just a few nights before its full phase. The strong moonlight in the night sky will make it harder to see faint meteors, but it will not obscure the spectacular fireballs possible during both showers.

Although the Southern and Northern Taurids are visible throughout the sky, they appear to originate from the Taurus constellationwhich rises late at night in November in the east. You don't need a pair Binoculars for stargazing or a telescope enjoy meteor showers; If you give your naked eyes some time to adjust to the darkness of the night, that's all you need.

“Fireball” meteors are possible over the US this evening as the South Taurid meteor shower peaks

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