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Taurid meteors rain down in November

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November 12, 2020

Constellation Taurus in starry sky and several thin white streaks radiating from it. — View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Joel Weatherly Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, created this composite from images captured on the morning of November 11, 2020. He wrote, “This is a composite image featuring Taurus and four meteors that I observed while out for the Northern Taurids meteor shower. The two brightest meteors left behind dust trails.” Thank you, Joel!

A shockingly bright white streak slices the starry sky beside Orion. — View at EarthSky Community Photos. | George Preoteasa of Milford, Pennsylvania, snagged this photo of a Taurid meteor on November 7, 2020. He wrote: “[This meteor was] passing next to Orion. Notice Aldebaran, bright red star in the middle of the picture (not to be confused with Betelgeuse lower in the shot) and the Pleiades above. The moon was rising from the lower left corner.” Thank you, George! Equipment details: Sony a7iii, Sigma 14mm F/1.8.

Bottom line: The month of November features both the South Taurid and North Taurid meteor showers. The South Taurids tend to peak around November 5 and the North Taurids around November 12. Fireballs – extremely bright meteors, also known as bolides – are common with the Taurid meteor showers. Read more about the Taurid meteor showers. Did you capture a photo of a Taurid meteor? Share it with us!

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November 12, 2020

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Kelly Kizer Whitt

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Kelly Kizer Whitt has been a science writer specializing in astronomy for more than two decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine, and she has made regular contributions to AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club, among other outlets. Her children’s picture book, Solar System Forecast, was published in 2012. She has also written a young adult dystopian novel titled A Different Sky. When she is not reading or writing about astronomy and staring up at the stars, she enjoys traveling to the national parks, creating crossword puzzles, running, tennis, and paddleboarding. Kelly lives with her family in Wisconsin.