Early November is the perfect time for sky-gazing, with three active meteor showers giving you the chance to see shooting stars lighting up the night sky.
The Southern Taurid meteor shower is expected to peak overnight Monday through Tuesday. The Taurid meteor shower, which is a week away, is predicted to peak between November 11th and 12th. Both meteor showers tend to produce about five slow-moving meteors per hour under clear and dark skies, and even more on days when the two coincide. According to the American Meteor Society.
At the same time, the last Orionid meteor shower should still be visible following its peak on October 20th. The Orionids meteor shower appears to be streaming out of the constellation Orion and can be seen until November 22nd. According to EarthSkya website dedicated to skywatching and astronomy.
On the other hand, the Southern Taurids and Northern Taurid meteor showers are both long-lasting meteor showers, and their peaks are not as obvious as other shooting star shows. The two showers tend to be consistently visible in September, October, and November (weather permitting), but early November is usually the easiest time to spot them.
The Taurid meteor shower gets its name from the appearance of shooting stars coming from a point in the sky in the constellation Taurus. Taurid meteors can be seen from almost anywhere on Earth except the South Pole.
The best chance to see the Taurid meteor shower, According to EarthSkywill likely be around midnight on November 5, when bright moonlight will not wash out the shooting stars. After midnight, Taurus will reach its highest point in the sky, increasing your chances of seeing shooting stars.
In addition to regular shooting stars, Taurid meteors tend to produce very bright and sometimes colorful meteors known as “fireballs.”
As with any sky watching event, it's best to choose a viewing location well away from street lights and other light pollution.
Even if you miss Taurus during the first two weeks of November, you can still see it any time it's on the horizon this month.
By the middle of this month, yet another meteor shower, the Leonids, is expected to occur.
The annual Leonid meteor shower will peak from late November 17th until the early hours of November 18th. Although not the most active meteor shower of the year, the Leonids can produce up to 15 shooting stars per hour under clear conditions.
Meteors can be seen in both the northern and southern hemispheres and often appear to stream out of the constellation Leo in all directions.
Leonids are usually bright, fast-moving meteors, and the shooting stars can appear colorful. According to NASA.
Meteors, or shooting stars, occur when tiny pieces of space debris burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Orionid, Taurud, and Leonid meteors are all produced when a planet passes through a cloud of dust particles and debris left behind by a comet.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
