When is the Taurid Meteor Shower 2017?
Stargazers are looking forward to what astronomers have dubbed the “Halloween Fireballs” this weekend.
Like the North Taurids, which peak on November 11 and 12, the shower is not the most active in the astronomical calendar but regularly produces incredibly bright shooting stars.
The South Taurids peak on November 4 and 5 according to Eartsky.org, though isolated meteors will be visible until about November 25.
Both meteor showers are visible worldwide but, as their names suggest, the South Taurids are best viewed in the Southern Hemisphere, with the North Taurids clearer in the Northern Hemisphere.
How to watch the Taurid Meteor Shower
As with all meteor showers, the Taurids are best viewed from a rural location away from any light pollution.
For the best results, get up early and watch the shower in the darkest hours before the dawn.
Unfortunately for stargazers, light from the full moon will hamper viewing conditions this year.
To make matters worse, many towns across the UK will be celebrating Bonfire Night over the weekend, which is also likely to intrude on the meteors’ visibility.
The shooting stars can be seen with the naked eye so there is no need for a telescope.
For the best chance of seeing the meteors, try lying down on the ground and gazing straight up rather than staring in one direction.
What is the Taurid Meteor Shower?
Both the North and South Taurids are named after the constellation they radiate from: Taurus the Bull.
Taurus can be found in the sky by looking for Orion the Hunter and turning northeast until you find a red star that makes up the bull’s eye.
The shower itself is made up of the dust and debris left behind by Comet Encke.
Tiny fragments of the comet plunge towards the Earth at 65,000mph, according to Nasa, before burning up as they sail through the atmosphere.
The Taurids produce relatively large chunks of debris and scientist believe some pieces could weigh up to a few ounces, making them substantial enough to reach the ground in rare cases.
Meteors this big have not yet been observed in the Taurids, though Nasa’s Bill Cooke told Space.com that such a discovery would be the “holy grail of meteorites.”