Toronto skywatchers could be in for a celestial show this month as a meteor shower known for producing extremely bright fireballs reaches its peak in the coming days!
According to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s Kingston Centre, the Southern Taurids are expected to peak overnight on Nov. 4-5, followed by the Northern Taurids on Nov. 11-12. The showers might not be as popular as the Perseids or Geminids, but unlike typical shooting stars that disappear quickly, Taurid meteors tend to move more slowly across the sky (and some can become very bright fireballs!) so definitely worth looking up for.
Here’s the geeky science behind it all: the Taurids occur when Earth passes through a trail of debris associated with Comet Encke. As these tiny particles enter our atmosphere, they burn up and create the glowing streaks we see from the ground.
And for Toronto, viewing conditions are expected to be favourable this year! The Southern Taurids will peak under a waning crescent moon, so little moonlight will interfere with visibility. The new moon on Nov. 9 will bring even darker skies, while the Northern Taurids will peak under a thin waxing crescent moon the following week.
According to EarthSky, each shower usually produces about five meteors per hour under ideal conditions. As usual, the best time to watch is around midnight, when the constellation Taurus (where the meteors appear to originate) is high in the sky!
You won’t need a telescope or binoculars to see it. Just find a dark safe spot away from Toronto’s bright lights and give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness. The meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, so there’s no need to stare in one direction.
And for some darker viewing spots outside the city, check out our guide to the best spots in Southern Ontario to watch celestial events.