Space fans don’t need a telescope for a good celestial show week, but they will need to leave the city lights — and their cell phones — behind.
The Northern Taurid meteor peaks late on November 11, with visibility at its highest around midnight. The Southern Taurids, a companion shower on a slightly different path, peaked just a few nights ago. Viewing depends heavily on local weather.
The Taurids are different from other popular meteor showers. Unlike the Geminids or the Perseids, Wednesday night will be relatively modest, at least in quantity.
“You might see two or three meteors an hour, but they do have a history of throwing fireball meteors…slower and brighter,” said David Young of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City.
NASA defines a fireball as an exceptionally bright meteor that outshines Venus.
Young explained that meteor showers are named for the constellation they appear to radiate from. Constellation Taurus rises in the east and stays high overnight, although astronomers say meteors can be seen across the entire sky, and they advise to look around, rather than stay focused on Taurus.
The meteors are made up of debris from the ancient path of the Encke comet. When Earth crosses the comet’s old orbit, it sweeps up bits of material the size of pebbles. Young said the biggest might be the size of a marble, but none of it reaches the ground as a solid piece.
Stargazers also have an advantage with the current moon phase. Wednesday is the first day of the waxing crescent, which means only half the moon is illuminated, creating a dark sky and an optimal viewing experience.
Tips for watching
- Skip the telescope and binoculars: Young says meteor showers are always best seen with the unaided eye.
- Get out of town: Rural areas are best. Avoid spots where passing headlights will hit you. Find a dark area with a broad view of the night sky for the best chance.
- Give your eyes time to adjust: It takes 30 minutes or more to become fully adjusted to the dark. Young says even a split second of white light from a phone, flashlight or headlight can ruin your night vision for another half hour.
Most local observatories closed for the season at the end of October, but Young puts it simply: “If you want to see the stars, go out to where it's dark.”
