The Taurid meteor shower 2015 won’t look like your average meteor shower.
It lasts much longer than usual, though it peaks very soon. And instead of small, quick, streaking meteors, Taurids produce big, bright “fireballs” and “earthgrazers.”
And NASA says this year’s Taurids “may be more active than usual.”
What does it all mean? Here’s what you need to know.
When can I see the Taurids?
The 2015 Taurids peak Tuesday and Wednesday, November 10 and 11. The best time to look is after midnight, when the constellation Taurus is up in the sky.
The new moon should make for some nice, dark skies and perfect viewing conditions, weather permitting.
What’s different about the Taurids?
The Taurids aren’t going to produce a constant stream of meteors like most of the other showers. Instead, the Taurids are known for producing spaced out, but more spectacular, “fireballs,” or super-bright meteors.
“The annual Taurid meteor shower is going on right now, and we are seeing steady activity in our meteor cameras,” Bill Cooke with NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office said on the agency’s website. “Individuals should not be surprised if they see a bright meteor or fireball over the next few nights.”
If you look out early in the evening you could see an earthgrazer, which EarthSky says is “a slow-moving and long-lasting meteor that travels horizontally across the sky.”
A meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through the orbit of a comet or asteroid, and the leftover debris burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Taurids come from Comet Encke, which left behind a “broad stream of debris” creating the bright meteors.
How can I see it?
Find a dark area away from city lights and other light pollution, get comfy and look up. Look towards the Northeast, where Taurus will rise at about 7 p.m or 8 p.m. Several hours later, and — blammo — meteor shower.
If you can’t get out this week, the shower will be active “for another month or so,”according to EarthSky.
Also, the 2015 Leonids meteor shower peaks next week.
Image via NASA