Where to see meteor shower november 11 2015
The exciting aspect of the Taurids is that the debris from Comet 2P/Encke is larger than typical meteoroids which are about the size of a grain of sand.
Where to see meteor shower november 11 2015 free#
In this interval one may expect about half a dozen slow, but often bright meteors per hour (particularly bright shooting stars are called fireballs) as seen from a dark location free of light pollution. The shower displays two distinct peaks - the Southern Taurids on 5 November and the Northern Taurids on 12 November. The Taurid meteors, so named since they appear to come from the constellation Taurus, originate from the debris stream of Comet 2P/Encke which the Earth encounters between 20 October and 30 November each year. However, this year’s display of celestial fireworks not only coincides with a new Moon for favourably dark skies, but the double-peaked shower is currently showing signs of unusually high activity similar to the fireball-rich display of 2005. AN graphic by Ade Ashford/Stellarium.The terrestrial fireworks of recent Bonfire Night(s) celebrations in the UK have masked a rather unusual display of natural illuminations, as we are in the midst of the Taurid meteor showers. This view is about 40 degrees wide (or twice the span of an outstretched hand at arm’s length) and shows the eastern sky at around 9pm local time in the UK. Reports from around the world indicate that the same is happening this year. The last time this happened was in 2005, when a larger proportion of fireballs were seen. In 2015, the Earth is encountering a swarm of larger debris emanating from Comet 2P/Encke. The radiant is the point where the shooting stars appear to originate. The Taurid meteor shower lasts from 20 October to the end of November, but has two distinct peaks of activity occuring on 5 November (the Southern Taurids) and on 12 November (the Northern Taurids).