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The Taurid meteor shower peaks tonight
Confirmed
In Short: The Southern Taurid meteor shower peaks tonight, potentially offering skywatchers a glimpse of bright fireballs.
The Southern Taurid meteor shower is peaking tonight, November 4–5, 2026, providing skywatchers with a chance to see unusually bright meteors, known as fireballs.
According to the American Meteor Society, the Southern Taurids’ second peak around November 4-5 is associated with increased fireball activity.
The Taurid meteor shower consists of two overlapping displays: the Southern Taurids and the Northern Taurids. The Southern Taurids originate from comet Encke itself, while the Northern Taurids are believed to come from one of the leftover asteroids, asteroid 2004 TG10.
The Taurid meteor shower is active annually, starting in September and ending in November. The Southern Taurids have an early maximum on October 12–13 and another maximum on November 4–5, while the Northern Taurids peak on November 11–12.
The Taurid meteor shower could spawn dazzling fireballs in the coming weeks, with the Southern Taurids reaching their second peak overnight on November 4–5, 2026.
The Southern Taurids are known for their ability to produce meteor fireballs, and under ideal viewing conditions, the shower is expected to produce about five meteors per hour, with a possibility of up to 10 per hour when the two branches overlap.
The Taurid meteors enter the atmosphere at about 17 miles per second, or roughly 65,000 mph, according to the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
While the Taurids typically produce only a handful of meteors per hour under ideal viewing conditions, individual ones can be remarkably bright, with about 1% of Taurid meteors being fireballs, which can rise to about 7% in exceptional swarm years.
The brighter-than-usual lunar activity will likely wash out all but the most luminescent Taurids, making it crucial for skywatchers to find a dark location to observe the meteor shower.
NASA’s November 2026 skywatching guide mentions that the Southern Taurids reach their peak around November 5, and the International Meteor Organization (IMO) and American Meteor Society (AMS) calendars highlight this period as a time of increased meteor activity.
Background
The Orionid meteor shower, known for its fast and bright meteors, peaked Wednesday night, offering skywatchers a chance to see shooting stars produced by the debris of Halley's Comet.
The Orionid meteor shower peaked Wednesday night, offering skywatchers a chance to see shooting stars from Halley's Comet debris, though moonlight made viewing difficult.
What's confirmed
- The Southern Taurid meteor shower reaches its second peak overnight on November 4–5, 2026, giving skywatchers another opportunity to spot unusually bright meteors.
What's still developing
- Hujan Meteor Taurid Memuncak Malam Ini 4–5 November 2026, Bisa Dilihat dari Indonesia?
- Hujan meteor Taurid Selatan aktif sejak 20 September hingga 20 November 2026.
- Aktivitasnya berlangsung cukup panjang, sehingga peluang melihat meteor tidak terbatas pada satu malam.
- Pada kondisi ideal, hujan meteor ini diperkirakan menghasilkan sekitar lima meteor per jam.
- The Taurid meteor shower is upon us, bringing multiple peaks of activity that could see spectacular shooting stars and fireballs brighten November's sky.
- One hypothesis suggests the Encke Complex formed when a large parent comet broke apart, leaving Comet 2P/Encke, several asteroids, and meteor streams.
- Could blazing fireballs and shooting stars dash across tonight's sky?
- But select sky-watching essentials can be helpful to ensure you get the best view of the "Halloween fireballs," like a telescope or binoculars; I've linked out a few of my favorite skywatching products below.
- For a better sky-watching experience, use these tips to guide your Southern Taurids viewing tonight or early tomorrow morning: The new season of Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship premieres tonight.
- The 2026 Southern Taurids have technically been active since Sept.
- Sementara itu, NASA dalam panduan pengamatan langit November 2026 menyebutkan bahwa Taurid Selatan mencapai puncaknya sekitar 5 November.
- Berdasarkan kalender pengamatan International Meteor Organization (IMO) dan American Meteor Society (AMS), Taurid Selatan merupakan hujan meteor tahunan yang dikenal karena kemampuannya menghasilkan meteor terang atau fireball.
Sources
- Aktualita.colink
- Nature World Newslink
- Space.comlink
- Star Walklink
- The Daily Galaxylink
- Travel + Leisurelink
- USA Todaylink
- Live Sciencelink
- WarpBeat — background on Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks Wednesday Night link
- WarpBeat — background on Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks Amid Moonlight Challenges link
- Skywatchers — video link