How to see the Leonid and Taurid meteor showers light up the November skies

Say what you want of 2020, it’s been a dazzling year in the night sky, with bright comets and abundant meteor showers that continue into November with the annual appearance of the Taurids and Leonids.

The South Tauris and North Tauris showers are active now and tend to produce a lot of sizzle in the form of fireballs that light up the skies. The Southern Taurid branch has already peaked, but can continue to contribute to the overall fireball count. According to the American Meteor Society, or AMS, the Northern Taurids are expected to reach maximum activity the night between November 11 and the following morning.

Taurids are produced when the Earth drifts through a cloud of debris left by Comet 2P / Encke around this time every year. Small pieces of dust could be seen burning in our upper atmosphere like “shooting stars”, while larger pieces of space rock can produce more dramatic fireballs.

Meanwhile, the Leonids are becoming active this week and will remain with us until the end of the month. This rain can be traced back to Comet 55P / Tempel-Tuttle and has staged some royal spectacles over the centuries in the form of intense meteor storms that produce hundreds of visible meteors per hour.

AMS says it is unlikely that we will see such a storm in our lives (the most recent was in 2001), although 2030 may see a minor storm. This year, the Leonids offer the opportunity to see about 15 meteors per hour at the peak of November 16 and 17, when the tiny fragment of a moon won’t produce much interference. Leonids tend to be quite bright with some persistent trains.

Photos of the 2020 Perseid meteor shower shine bright in a dark year

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To capture any Taurid or Leonid, the best strategy is to venture into the early morning hours before sunrise as close as possible to their respective shower peaks. Get away from light pollution if you can, dress appropriately and find a comfortable place to lie down with a wide and clear view of the sky.

So, relax, let your eyes adjust and see. It is not necessary to focus on a particular area of ​​the sky, but if you can spot the constellations of Leo and Taurus, the Leonids and Taurids will appear to originate from these parts of the sky, respectively, and crawl outward like the rays of a wheel.

Enjoy some fire in the sky and stream any epic fireball photos you happen to catch on Twitter @EricCMack.