Taurid meteor shower to light up the skies over Britain on Bonfire Night
An annual meteor shower sometimes described as the ‘Halloween Fireballs’ should light up the skies over Britain on Bonfire Night.
The meteors are caused by a stream of debris left behind a comet and intersect with our planet every year in autumn.
This year, they will peak on the night of November 5.
You’ll have to be patient - in contrast to other meteor showers, there are only a few Taurids per hour.
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The peak of the meteor shower will come late on Tuesday night and early on Wednesday morning.
NASA said: ‘Taurid meteors can be seen any time the constellation Taurus is above the horizon during the months of September, October and November.
‘The best time to look for Taurids is after midnight, when Taurus is high in the sky, and when the sky is dark and clear, with no moonlight to mask the fainter meteors.’
You won’t need special equipment to see them, but experts recommend going to an area with few lights to spot meteors - ideally just before dawn.
The meteors are associated with Comet Encke, which leaves a trail of comet ‘crumbs’ as it orbits the sun.
Both Encke and the Taurids (named after the constellation Taurus where they appear) are believed to be the remnants of a much larger comet which broke up tens of thousands of years ago.
NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com: ‘In general, the Taurids are very bright. So there may be only five per hour, but they are bright. That's their claim to fame.’
