If you are looking for a little Halloween magic this year, look no further than the skies above.
Much like August’s Perseid showers and the Geminid showers in December, October brings us the Taurid meteor showers. These showers don’t bring shooting stars but instead, according to Space.com, fireballs.
The Taurid meteor showers are pretty interesting
Royal Museums Greenwich explain: “The Taurids are a slow and long-lasting meteor shower, occurring every year from late October and through November.
“Even at their peak, the Taurids are not particularly frequent, but they do provide a sprinkling throughout the two months.”
So, rather than one event, there are multiple potential opportunities to see these showers.
Additionally, Space.com says: “The Taurids are actually two closely related showers — the Southern Taurids and Northern Taurids — whose activity overlaps in late October and November.
“That’s why they’re known informally by skywatchers as the ‘Halloween fireballs.’ The broad overlapping peaks make the Taurids less about watching on one particular night and more about keeping an eye on the night sky for several weeks.”
What a lovely reason to step outside and feel the refreshing chill of Autumn air.
How to see the Taurid fireballs
If you hope to catch a glimpse of this display, NASA advises: “Taurid meteors can be seen any time the constellation Taurus is above the horizon during the months of September, October, and November.
“The best time to look for Taurids is after midnight, when Taurus is high in the sky, and when the sky is dark and clear, with no moonlight to mask the fainter meteors. Given the behavior of past Taurid swarms, increased fireball activity may be seen during the last week of October and the first two weeks of November.”
