This weekend, skywatchers will have a fabulous opportunity to witness one of the most picturesque meteor showers – the Southern Taurid Meteor Shower. The meteor shower’s peak will take place over the weekend – a perfect time to go out and witness dozens of shooting stars streaking across the night sky.
The Southern Taurid meteor shower is one of the two meteor showers known as the Taurids, which take place annually around late October, early November. What makes the Taurid meteor showers special is that they tend to produce spectacular fireballs, which are meteors that are brighter than normal.
The Southern Taurid Meteor Shower began on September 27 and will peak over this weekend on November 5. The meteor shower originates from debris from comet Encke and travels at a leisurely 17 kilometers per second. This slow speed makes this meteor shower special and you can expect to see brighter shooting stars with longer trails in the sky.
Another draw to the Southern Taurid Meteor Shower is that it usually produces around 5-10 meteors per hour when it peaks. Although that number may seem small compared to other showers, the Taurid shower tends to present its best performance over the weekend.
If you are looking to catch the Southern Taurid Meteor Shower, the best time to watch will be between midnight and dawn. All you have to do is find a dark spot out in the country – away from the city lights – and look up. And remember to be patient, as the shower’s peak will last for several days as the active should slowly decrease.
So if you’re up for a night of stargazing, make sure to check out the Southern Taurid Meteor Shower. Although it won’t have as strong of a performance as some of its other shower cousins, the Southern Taurid is great for spotting fireballs in the sky. So don’t miss out on this great opportunity to witness nature’s beautiful show.
