Astrology

The Northern Taurids reach their peak in November

The Northern Taurids are due to reach their strongest activity overnight on November 11-12, Newsweek reports, citing the American Meteor Society. The annual meteor shower is active from October 20 through December 10 this year, according to the society's calendar.

The peak is spread over several nights rather than confined to a single evening, AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Lada told the News-Democrat. He said the second week of November offers viewing opportunities, with the shower active through most of the night.

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Taurid fireballs stand out#

The Northern Taurids produce about five meteors an hour, Lada said. Some are fireballs, exceptionally bright meteors that can briefly rival a full moon in brightness. Not every Taurid meteor reaches that brightness, he said.

The shower takes its name from Taurus, the constellation from which its meteors appear to originate, The Weather Channel reports. It has northern and southern branches, named for their apparent positions on either side of the constellation. The Southern Taurids peaked in early November.

Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through trails of material left by objects orbiting the sun. The Taurids are associated with debris from Comet Encke, Newsweek reports. As that material enters Earth's atmosphere, it burns up and produces streaks of light.

Cloud cover varies across peak night#

National Weather Service forecasts cited by Newsweek called for clear skies Wednesday night around Scottsdale, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Stafford and the Wichita area in Kansas had mostly clear forecasts, while the outlook around Spencer, Nebraska, was partly cloudy. Newsweek noted that forecasts could change and conditions vary within states.

The outlook was less clear around Chicago, where the weather service forecast a chance of rain Wednesday night. In Belleville, Illinois, the forecast called for mostly cloudy skies and a slight chance of thunderstorms that night, according to the National Weather Service St. Louis office.

Another shower is active this week: the Leonids are due to peak November 16-17, Gulf Coast News and Weather reports. The outlet says skywatchers could see up to 15 meteors an hour, appearing to radiate from the constellation Leo.

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