Northern Taurid meteor shower peaks overnight Nov. 11-12
The gist
The Northern Taurids peak overnight Nov. 11-12 with up to five meteors an hour under dark skies.
The shower is known for fireballs, and the moon will be 4% lit.
How it unfolded
- Sep 20, 2026The Southern Taurids become active, running through Nov. 20; the Northern Taurids run Oct. 20 to Dec. 10.
- Oct 14, 2026The Southern Taurids hit the first of two distinct peaks in 2026.
- Nov 4, 2026The Southern Taurids peak overnight Nov. 4-5 around midnight local time, with up to 5 meteors per hour according to NASA.
Key terms
- fireballs
- An exceptionally bright meteor, sometimes defined as one with apparent magnitude −4 or brighter.
- radiants
- The point in the sky from which a meteor shower's meteors appear to originate.
- Comet Encke
- A periodic comet orbiting the Sun about every 3.3 years, source of the Taurid meteor shower.
Source: Wikipedia