According to NASA, the "meteors of Halloween" have returned; and as of October 31, there may be a streak in the sky as tiny ghosts and goblins prepare to trick-or-treat.
Around this time each year, a stream of debris left behind from a big comet that broke up tens of thousands of years ago passes over the Earth.
According to NASA, this disintegration also gave rise to Comet Encke, which prolongs the debris path as it round the sun. Our planet will take several months to pass through the huge debris stream.
For us on Earth, the extra time means we get to see the Taurid meteor showers, so this is a beautiful thing.
Taurids Meteor Shower To Peak Soon
Although their peak date is Nov. 5, taurids will start to show early, so you could even see one tonight.
"When you are out trick or treating, watch the sky - you might just see a fireball overhead," NASA said (per Phys.org).
Although the Taurid showers are normally "low activity" and only produce a few meteors each hour, they are frequently fairly brilliant and conspicuous. Even better, when the quantity of fireballs significantly increases, they can create a "Taurid swarm."
Meteors of the Orionid meteor shower streak as they cross through the milkyway in the mountainous area of Tannourine in northern Lebanon, on October 3, 2021.
About Taurids Meteor Shower
The Taurids, named for the Taurus constellation they come from, are a series of meteor showers that create pebble-sized debris as opposed to the dust-sized debris in showers like the Perseids, according to NASA (per Courier Journal).
The Taurids are known as the "meteors of Halloween" due to the spike in activity that often occurs in the final week of October and the first week of November.
NASA said per CNet that we are currently undergoing a new Taurid storm, which last occurred in 2015. For 2032, an even greater one is anticipated.
How To Watch Taurids Meteor Shower
A few meteors fall on average per hour. The American Metro Society forecasts that the Taurids will cause a greater amount of activity this year, so the steamy Halloween hoedown may be a little more spectacular than in previous years. Actually, experts have shown that activity rises every three to seven years.
The American Meteor Society advises observing for at least an hour to have the best chance of seeing the eerie gas balls during a Taurid meteor shower. The Taurids are active all night in the Northern Hemisphere, although they are most active about two in the morning.
There is no need for concern regarding these fireballs. They resemble pebble- to softball-sized space debris that are essentially enormous shooting stars that strike with our planet and occasionally burn up spectacularly as they sizzle through our upper atmosphere.
RELATED ARTICLE: Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower: Watch Meteoroid Light Up the Sky as Shooting Stars With Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn
Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.
