Astrology

The Taurid meteor shower is active over Halloween in 2026

The Taurid meteor shower is active over Halloween in 2026, with a chance of bright fireballs on October 31, International Business Times, Singapore Edition reports. The outlet says a bright moon could make fainter meteors harder to see that night.

The display has Southern and Northern branches whose activity overlaps for several weeks, according to International Business Times. The Southern Taurids are active from September through late November, while the Northern Taurids run from late October into early December.

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Taurus gives the shower its name#

The Taurids take their name from Taurus, the constellation where the meteors appear to originate, International Business Times reports. The shower occurs as Earth passes through debris associated with comet 2P/Encke. Particles heat up and glow as they enter the atmosphere, producing streaks commonly called shooting stars.

The Taurids are known for occasional bright fireballs and slower-moving trails, though they produce fewer meteors than some other showers, according to International Business Times. The outlet says the display can be seen from many parts of the world, with weather, light pollution and local conditions affecting visibility.

SSBCrack reports that the Taurids' radiant points, the places where the meteors appear to originate, are in Taurus near the ecliptic, the sun's apparent path as Earth orbits it. The outlet says the shower can be seen from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

The two branches peak in November#

The American Meteor Society estimates a rate of roughly five meteors per hour for each Taurid branch under dark skies, International Business Times reports. Favorable conditions can yield around 10 meteors per hour when both branches are active. The outlet notes that city observers may see fewer.

The Southern Taurids have an annual component peaking around October 14 and a fireball-heavy component peaking overnight on November 4 to 5, according to American Meteor Society dates cited by A Little Spark of Joy. SSBCrack reports that the Southern shower runs from September 20 through November 20.

The Orionids reached their peak around October 21 to 22, Space reports. The outlet says the shower takes its name from a point near the star Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion.

At the Southern Taurids' November 4 to 5 peak, the moon's disk is expected to be roughly one-fifth illuminated, Scientific American reports, according to A Little Spark of Joy. International Business Times puts the Northern Taurids' peak around November 11 to 12.

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