Look Up! The Taurid Meteor Shower—Also Known as "Halloween Fireballs"—Is Lighting Up the Night Sky
GETTY IMAGES
Everything from haunted hayrides to scary movies creates the ambience that you can truly only experience on Halloween. But there is one event that could top them all this year: A light show currently appearing in the night sky from the Taurid meteor shower. And while this meteor shower appears every year, 2022 is one for the books—up to 10 meteors per hour could appear during the shower's peak, according to EarthSky. (2015 was the last time this took place.)
The fireball-filled display comes from the Encke comet in outer space, which stretches nearly 3 miles in size. Since this meteor shower begins in late October every year, the display is referred to as "Halloween fireballs," according to Space.com. The meteors in this shower move slowly and more infrequently, but they appear in the sky longer, making it perfect for spotting with the plain eye, or with star-gazing equipment for an even more vivid look.
You'll be able to catch the Taurid meteor shower based on its two streams. The first stream includes the Southern Taurids, which will be at their peak on November 4 and 5, while the Northern Taurids appear at their peak on November 12 and 13. No matter when you see the meteors moving through the sky, they will be pretty easy to spot, since they are big and bright, notes Space.com.
For the best view of the meteor shower, head to a dark location. "The secret is to take in as much sky as possible and allow about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark," says Space.com.
