Life may feel uneventful as we all stay home to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, sky-watchers are set for an exciting November. According to EarthSky, both the South and North Taurid meteor showers will grace the skies this month, followed by the Leonid meteor shower and a penumbral lunar eclipse.
The Taurid meteor stream is composed of scattered debris from Comet 2P/Encke. The South Taurids are expected to peak between late night on November 4 and the following dawn. Moreover, the meteoroid streams that feed the Taurids are notably spread out and diffuse, typically providing fewer than five meteors per hour. The peak night of the South Taurid shower coincides with a waning gibbous moon, which will illuminate the night sky almost fully.
For the North Taurids, the peak will occur on November 11 until dawn. Fortunately, the slender waning crescent moon is not anticipated to obstruct our view of the meteors. Interestingly, higher rates of Taurid fireballs tend to occur in seven-year cycles; the last significant event was in 2015, so we do not expect a substantial increase in fireballs this year.
In addition, the Leonid meteor shower, associated with Comet Tempel–Tuttle, is anticipated to peak between midnight on November 16 and the following dawn. This shower is more vigorous than the Taurids, with expectations of producing 15 to 20 fast-moving meteors each hour. Consequently, the final celestial event for the month will be a penumbral lunar eclipse, occurring on November 30, visible across North America as the moon slips into Earth’s outer shadow.
