Brace yourself for one of the oldest and most well-known meteor showers in the coming months, The Taurids meteor shower. As exciting as it may sound, you might get to see a South Taurid Meteor Shower anytime from about September 10 to November 20, which means it has already started, delightful isn’t it? But what’s the Southern Taurid Meteor Shower? Is it the same as the Taurid shower? No, it’s not the same but quite related. Before it gets confusing, let’s start from the beginning and deep dive into the beautiful origin of Taurid meteor Showers.
Origin of Taurids Meteor Showers:
The Taurids are actually two individual showers, differentiated with a Southern and a Northern component.
Basically, the Southern Taurids originated from Comet Encke, while the Northern Taurids originated from the asteroid 2004 TG10, possibly a huge fragment of Comet Encke due to its similar orbital parameters. Comet Encke is a periodic comet that completes an orbit of the Sun once every 3.3 years. Furthermore, the comet Encke and the Taurids are believed to be the remnants of a much larger comet, which had shattered over the past 20,000 to 30,000 years and broke into several pieces, resulting in the release of materials by normal cometary activity.
When and how to spot the Taurid meteor Shower in the night sky?
The approximate overall duration of the Taurid shower would be between mid-September to late November. The South Taurids run from about September 23 to November 12 and the North Taurids are active from about October 13 to December 2.
Mostly the Taurids are visible from anywhere on Earth, except for the South Pole. Meteor showers are named after the constellation from which the meteors appear to emit, known as the radiant. The Taurid meteor shower appears to emerge approximately from the direction of the Taurus constellation.
The reason why one cannot experience Taurids at the South Pole is because the radiant of the shower is found in the constellation Taurus, located to the opposite side of the South Pole, due to which the radiant is below the horizon from the South Pole. However, there are other meteor showers that are visible from the South Pole, such as the Southern Taurids and the Quadrantids.
Taurids are named after their radiant point in the constellation Taurus, where they are spotted in the night sky. To find Taurus, look for the constellation Orion and then peer to the northeast and look out for the meteors nearby and around the constellation.
The Taurid meteor shower is not very intense, so it is best to view the shower from a dark location away from city lights. The best time to view the shower is during the late night hours, when the radiant is high in the sky, and in early morning hours when the sky is dark and there is less moonlight to interfere with the viewing experience.
Appearance of The Meteor Shower
The Taurids are known for their slow and sporadic appearance, with only a few meteors visible per hour during peak viewing conditions. They appear at a rate of about 5 per hour, moving slowly across the sky at about 28 km/s. If larger than a pebble, these meteors may become bolides as bright as the Moon and leave behind smoke trails.
But if you’re lucky then, occasionally the shower might produce a much more impressive display, with hundreds of meteors visible per hour. The Taurids are rich in fireballs, appear to be bright, and tend to be larger than other meteors resulting in longer surviving meteors as they pass through Earth’s atmosphere. They are also called Halloween Fireballs because of their occurrence in late October during Halloween.
Some interesting myths and facts about Taurids
- Myth: Taurid’s Meteor Shower is related to the occurrence of unearthly and mysterious identities. And also, associated with the appearance of ghosts and other supernatural entities.
Fact: There is no scientific evidence to support this claim. However, some people believe that the Taurid meteor shower may be associated with ghosts and other supernatural entities because it is often active during the Halloween and winter months making it a spooky season.
- Myth: The Taurid meteor shower is the most dangerous meteor shower of the year, like a sign of the apocalypse.
Fact: The meteor shower is not very intense, so it is not very dangerous. However, it is always important to be aware of your surroundings when viewing meteor showers, as there is a small risk of being struck by a meteor. But definitely not a bad omen related to the apocalypse.
Overall, there is more proof to support the facts about the Taurid meteor shower than the myths. However, it is still an interesting phenomenon, and it is up to each individual to decide what they believe.
To view the Taurid meteor shower, simply find a dark location with a clear view of the sky. If you’re lucky enough, then you may even see a fireball, which is a very bright meteor that can produce a trail of light that lasts for several seconds.
The Taurid meteor shower is a great opportunity to see some of the most beautiful sights in the night sky. So if you’re looking for a way to spend a clear night in October or November, then make sure to check out the Taurids.
