Southern Taurid meteor shower peaks Thursday with chance to see fireballs

The Southern Taurid meteor shower will reach peak activity on Thursday, with the best viewing expected around midnight local time. Meteors from this shower travel at roughly 65,000 miles per hour (104,607 kilometers per hour), making them slower and more visible than those from faster showers such as the Orionids. The radiant point lies in the Taurus constellation, and a crescent moon should keep the sky relatively dark.

"What makes the Taurids spectacular is that they're rich in bright fireballs," said Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "There are not many of them, but when you see one, you'll remember it. It'll leave a brilliant streak across the sky."

"That can be really exciting — it's much less common to see a fireball," added astronomer Bethany Cobb Kung, associate professor of honors and physics at George Washington University.

Fireballs produced by the Southern Taurids can be brighter than Venus and may leave ionized trails or lingering vapor clouds. The shower typically yields about five meteors per hour and can be observed from most locations worldwide, except the South Pole. Kung advises stargazers to locate Orion's belt first and then look toward the right to find Taurus, noting that precise aiming is not required.

For optimal viewing, Cooke recommends finding a dark site, allowing the eyes to adjust for at least thirty minutes, and avoiding screen light. "Just look up and take in the show," he said.

The Southern Taurid stream, which began in September, will continue until November 20. It originates from debris left by comet 2P/Encke, a comet with a 3.3-year orbital period. Scientists believe Encke was part of a larger body that fragmented about 20,000 years ago, creating both the Southern and Northern Taurid streams and several other meteor showers. While this year's activity is modest, Cooke notes that a denser swarm of Taurid debris is expected in 2032, potentially producing many more fireballs.

Other notable meteor showers later this year include the Northern Taurids (November 11-12), Leonids (November 16-17), Geminids (December 13-14) and Ursids (December 21-22).