Taurid meteor shower peaks tonight: How to watch
What's the story
The Taurid meteor shower is set to peak tonight, delighting stargazers with stunning shooting stars and fireballs. The phenomenon occurs every autumn when Earth passes through debris streams from Comet Encke, a 4.8km-wide ice body that orbits the Sun every 3.3 years. These streams create two branches of the Taurid meteor shower: Southern Taurids (September 20-November 20) and Northern Taurids (October 20-December 10).
Meteor impact
Meteor shower produces bright fireballs
As Earth moves through these debris streams, tiny particles hit our atmosphere at a staggering speed of 104,650km/h. This creates spectacular streaks of light in the night sky.
Both branches of the Taurid meteor shower seem to radiate from a point in the constellation Taurus, which rises in the southeastern sky during November evenings.
The Taurids are famous for producing bright fireball meteors that can outshine Venus as pebble-sized debris burns up in Earth's atmosphere.
Viewing guide
Best time to watch meteors
The Southern Taurid shower has two peaks, with the first one occurring on October 14.
The second peak occured overnight on November 4-5, bringing an increase in fireball activity with up to five meteors per hour lighting up the sky.
To spot these meteors, head out to a dark location around midnight when Taurus is high in the southeastern sky for maximum visibility.