Taurid meteor shower 2026: when to see fireballs in November

The Northern Taurid meteor shower is active and will peak around Wednesday to Thursday, according to sources including The Weather Channel and Belleville News-Democrat. AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Lada told the News-Democrat that unlike most meteor showers that peak over one or two nights, both Taurd streams feature drawn-out peaks lasting about a week. This allows viewers to choose the night with the best weather for stargazing. CNET reported that the Northern Taurid peak occurs on the evening of Nov. 11 and the morning of Nov. 12. Both the Southern and Northern Taurids are fueled by comet 2P/Encke, as noted by CNET and The Weather Channel. The shower is known for a lower quantity of meteors but higher quality, bringing about five meteors per hour under optimal conditions according to CNET and Lada. Lada described the meteors as slow-moving and stated that the Taurids are known for producing fireballs, which are incredibly bright meteors that can briefly be as bright as a full moon. The Weather Channel added that these fireballs can appear as larger explosions of light and color that last longer in the sky than an average meteor streak. According to The Weather Channel, this year is about average for fireballs, and the next predicted Taurid fireball swarm is not expected until 2032. The American Meteor Society noted that the moon is only 5% illuminated on Nov. 11, giving viewers even better conditions than the Southern Taurids experienced, while National Geographic reported that viewing conditions should be good with minimal moonlight interference near the Nov. 9 new moon phase. Lada advised that the meteors can appear in any part of the sky, meaning viewers do not need to focus their attention on one specific direction, and the shower is active throughout most of the night. The shower gets its name from the constellation Taurus, where the meteors appear to originate, according to NASA and other sources. For Belleville observers, the National Service St. Louis office reported that Monday night is expected to be clear, Tuesday night mostly clear, Wednesday night brings a slight chance of thunderstorms with mostly cloudy skies, and Thursday night should be partly cloudy.