Taurid meteor shower set to peak across UK: How and when to watch

11 November 2024, 21:04

The Northern Taurids meteor shower is set to peak across the UK tonight - here is how and when to watch.

What is the Taurid meteor shower?

The Taurids are a long-lasting meteor shower which occur every autumn.

A meteor shower is caused when the Earth travels through a cloud of debris from a comet.

The upcoming Taurids are caused by debris from Comet Encke.

Due to the comet stream being very spread out, there are two separate segments: the Southern Taurids and the Northern Taurids.

When will the Taurid meteor shower peak?

The Southern Taurids ran between September 23 and November 12 - with the peak coming earlier in the month.

Meanwhile, the Northern Taurids run from October 13 to December 2 and will peak on Monday evening and through to Tuesday.

Though the Taurids only tend to produce five meteors an hour, they can be very bright and potentially produce fireballs.

How can you watch the Taurid meteor shower?

Unlike other meteor showers, you do not need any special equipment to see the Taurids.

The best time to view the meteor shower will be around midnight - but it is recommended to allow 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Cloud and fog could block the view for some across southern Scotland, Northern Ireland, north-west England and north Wales.

However, if you do miss this meteor shower it won't be long until the next one, with the Leonid meteor shower set to peak next week on November 18.