Skygazers alert! Taurid meteor shower will peak this weekend with brightest 'fireballs' in sky

Taurid Meteor Shower2023:“Look at the stars, look how they shine for you”, lyrics from one of Coldplay’s songs might come true as the Taurid meteor shower peaks in November with a majestic spectacle. The first set of meteor showers is expected to reach its zenith this weekend.

The Taurids have been active since Oct 20 but will reach its peak before Nov 20. According to the American Meteor Society, Southern Taurid meteors are expected to peak at 8:47 pm ET this Sunday. This will be the best time for skygazers to catch a glimpse of the starry sky.

Taurid meteor showers will feature rare ‘fireballs’

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According to NASA, the Southern Taurids typically have a frequency of only five meteors per hour but they are best known for featuring fireballs. Fireballs are a term used for a meteor that appears to be brighter than Venus.

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“Meteors are a part of the night sky that just is out of the norm for people,” said Bill Cooke, lead of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office. “You go outside, you see the stars, you see the moon, you see the planets — those are always there, but you don’t always see the meteors. Meteors are a transitory part of the night sky, and people get fascinated by that.”

Taurids are an even more special type of meteor shower. Most meteor showers feature meteoroids that are only some millimetres in length but the Taurids can have meteoroids up to an impressive 1 metre (3 feet) long, making them appear very bright when they are visible in the night sky.

Origin of Taurids

The Southern Taurids originate from Comet Encke, which is located around the Sun with the shortest orbit of all known comets in the solar system, as per NASA. Encke’s orbital period is 3.3 years. Its last sighting from Earth was recorded on Oct 22, when it was at its perihelion, that is, closest to the Sun.

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During its orbital journey, the comet leaves behind a cosmic residue of meteoroids that appears as the Southern Taurid meteor shower from Earth.

Best time to watch Taurid meteor shower

If the local weather conditions allow, the best time to capture a glimpse of themeteor shower will be after midnight in any time zone. One should be prepared to stay outside for a while as it may take time to make its best appearance.

Around the shower’s peak, the moon will be nearly half full at 44%, according to the American Meteor Society. That level of moonshine can cause a disturbance when viewing fainter meteors, but since the Taurids tend to be so bright, the moon will likely not interfere, Cooke said.

(With inputs from agencies)