A meteor from the Tau Herculids meteor shower passes over Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada on May 30, 2022. The meteor shower known for producing fireballs, the Southern Taurids, is expected to reach its peak this week.
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Ethan Miller/Getty Images
A meteor from the Tau Herculids meteor shower passes over Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada on May 30, 2022. The meteor shower known for producing fireballs, the Southern Taurids, is expected to reach its peak this week.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Look up at the sky over the next few nights, and you might be able to catch a glimpse of a passing fireball.
The Southern Taurids meteor shower is set to peak on Sunday and Monday, giving viewers a chance to see what are often called meteors soaring above our planet.
According to the American Meteor SocietyThe Southern Taurids meteor shower has been active since September and is scheduled to reach peak activity this week.
“Space rocks” and other material hurtling across the universe — including pieces of asteroids, comets and even the Moon or Mars — are called meteorites. Meteorites that enter the Earth’s atmosphere are called meteorites.
Taurid meteor stream, which includes both the southern Taurid and the northern Taurid, It comes from comet Enkean object 2.98 miles across that orbits the sun a little over every three years.
The Australian Watchdog said the southern eruptions and northern eruptions, which are set to peak next Saturday, mark a significant spike in fireball reports between September and November each year.
“Fireball” – believe it or not – is a term Actually used by NASA To describe meteors that glow as brightly or brighter than the planet Venus.
If you want to try to see the Taurid fireball this week, Space.com recommends Locate a dark viewing point away from light pollution and scan the night sky surrounding Jupiter.
And be patient: While Taurids can produce some unusually bright fireballs, they only produce about five meteors per hour at most.
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