Meteor shower trio in November: Taurids, Orionids, Leonids
November brings a skywatching bonanza, with three meteor showers — the Southern Taurids, Northern Taurids and Orionids — offering chances to see shooting stars.
Early November ushers in a skywatching bonanza, with three active meteor showers offering the chance to see shooting stars light up the night sky.
The Southern Taurids meteor shower is expected to reach its peak overnight from Monday into Tuesday. A week later, the Northern Taurids are projected to peak from Nov. 11 to 12. Both showers tend to produce around five slow-moving meteors per hour — and more on days when the two overlap — under clear conditions and dark skies, according to the American Meteor Society.
At the same time, the last of the Orionid meteor shower should still be visible, following its peak on Oct. 20. Orionid meteors appear to stream from the constellation of Orion and can be seen until Nov. 22, according to EarthSky, a website devoted to skywatching and astronomy.
The Southern and Northern Taurids, meanwhile, are both long-lasting meteor showers, with peaks that are less clearly defined than some other shooting star shows. The two showers tend to be steadily visible in September, October and November (weather permitting), though are typically easiest to spot in early November.
The Taurids meteor showers get their name because the shooting stars appear to stream from a point in the sky where the Taurus constellation is located. Taurid meteors can be seen from pretty much anywhere on the planet except the South Pole.
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