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“Witness the Spectacular Light Show: Northern Taurid Meteor Shower!

There is exciting news for night sky enthusiast who love to watch meteor showers! The Northern Taurid meteor shower is set to become even more spectacular this year. The meteors that are part of this shower are known to be brighter than most others, and can be visible to the unaided eye even during the day. This meteor shower occurs when our planet travels through a stream of dust and debris left by periodic comet 2P/Encke. Every few years, this stream offers more dust and gravel than usual due to the fact that Encke’s dust tail has spread across the Solar System over time, becoming rather thick. This year, we may be able to witness the meteors at levels not seen before. The Northern Taurid meteor shower typically lasts from late August until November, with the peak falling around November 5th and 6th. The meteoroids will be travelling through the sky towards the constellation Taurus, hence the name given to these events. Even though the Northern Taurids meteor shower usually produces just 10 meteors per hour, most of them managed to outshine the stars and have the potential to produce fireballs. Fireballs are essentially very bright meteors that appear brighter than magnitude -5. Statistically speaking, the chances of catching a fireball are estimated to be around 1 in every 10,000 meteors seen. If you’re lucky enough to catch one, you’ll know you saw something special. On the 5th and 6th of November, be sure to keep an eye out in the night sky. The Northern Taurids meteor shower may be the most spectacular one of the year.