Dueling Taurid and Leonid Meteor Showers Bring Fireballs to Skies

By BETH DALBEY (Patch Staff)

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Cosmic fireballs are lighting up the night sky as the Taurid meteor shower peaks through Nov. 12.

The Taurids aren’t known for their number as much as for their slow speed and blazing fireballs — extremely bright meteors that can last for several seconds and can light up an entire countryside when they are at their brightest.

Here’s the thing about the Taurids, though. They’re not the only meteors you’ll see this month. Offering some inter-stellar competition is the Leonid meteor shower, another modest meteor shower that began Friday and lasts through Nov. 30.

Left by the remnants of comet Tempel-Tuttle. The Leonids peak overnight on the 17th and early on the 18th, with about 15 sightings per hour. The best viewing time is after midnight, once the quarter moon has set.

For now, though, the stars of the sky are the Taurids.

The American Meteor Society says the Taurids occasionally produce more fireballs than normal, and 2015 could be such a year due to the fact that the Earth is encountering a larger than normal number of particles shed by comet 2P/Encke, the parent comet of the Taurids.

The fireballs are expected to remain active through at least Nov. 10. Other meteor showers peak only on a night or two, but the Taurid shower lasts nearly a week. That’s good news for stargazers, giving them several opportunities to see the Taurids.

Local Viewing Conditions

In Maryland mostly clear overnight skies are forecast Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Partial cloud cover on Monday and Tuesday nights — more so on Tuesday night than on Monday night — could obstruct viewing, and stargazing looks to be a bust on Wednesday and Thursday nights. You can always get an up-to-date forecast by clicking on the Patch weather forecast on the home page.

Where to See Fireballs

AccuWeather Meteorologist Dave Samuhel said the best time for viewing the Taurids will probably be near the end of the peak, during the new moon, which will make for a darker sky and make the Taurids appear even brighter as they glide across the night sky.

At this time of year, the area of the sky in which these meteors appear to come from lies above the horizon all night long, the American Meteor Society says.

During the evening hours Taurid meteors will shoot upward from the eastern sky. Near midnight they will shoot from an area high in the southern sky (as seen from mid-northern latitudes). In the late morning hours they will shoot upward from the western sky.

The fireballs are usually vividly colored, and may fragment before completely disintegrating.

More Meteors in 2015

If you miss the Taurids and Leonids, there are two more chances to see meteors this year, according to NASA/SeaSky.org.

In December, look for the Geminids, produced from the remnants of a small asteroid named 3200 Phaethon. Another perennial favorite among skywatchers, it’s visible from Dec. 7-17, peaking overnight on the 13th and early in the morning of the 14th with up to 120 sightings per hour.

The meteors will appear multicolored, which gives an added bonus to the already spectacular show. The best time to view it will be after midnight, when the moon has set and conditions are darker.

The Ursids Meteor Shower, the final meteor shower of the year, is caused by remnants of the comet Tuttle, and runs from Dec. 16-25, peaking overnight — ushering in the Winter Solstice, perhaps? — on the 22nd with about 10 sightings per hour. A full moon on the 25th will wash out all but the brightest meteors.

Moon and Venus Dance

One other celestial event skywatchers may want to put on their calendars is the conjuncture of Earth’s Moon and Venus in the early morning hours of Dec. 7. The Moon and venus will appear to be only two degrees away from one another in the early morning hours of Dec. 7. For the best viewing, look at the eastern sky right before sunrise.

» Photo via Google Commons