Taurids radiants
Every October and November the two branches of the Taurid meteor shower become active. The Taurids are not known for their high numbers, rather they are known more for the fireballs they produce. Occasionally there are more Taurid fireballs than normal. 2015 may be such a year. These increased numbers of fireballs are due to the fact that the Earth encounters larger than normal particles shed by comet 2P/Encke, the parent comet of the the Taurids. These fireballs are thought to be active between October 29 and November 10. Luckily, this at time of year the area of which these meteors appear to come from lies above the horizon all night long. During the evening hours Taurid meteors will shoot upwards from the eastern sky. Near midnight they sill shoot from an area high in the southern sky (as seen from mid-northern latitudes). In the late morning hours they will shoot upwards from the western sky. Unlike most meteors, the Taurids are not fast. The fireball class meteors are usually vividly colored and may fragment before they completely disintegrate. Not every meteor or fireball will be a Taurid as there are other minor showers active plus random activity.
We encourage you to report any fireballs you may witness. If you happen to see one of these bright meteors, we invite you to fill out a fireball report at: fireball report.
