Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks Over Oceanside As Taurids Still Active

OCEANSIDE, CA — Meteor showers continue to appear in the skies over Oceanside in mid-November with the Taurids still active as the Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak this coming week.

The Taurids reached their peak on Nov. 11-12th. This is a long-running minor meteor shower that produces only about five or 10 shooting stars an hour. It's unusual not only because of its duration — it runs from Sept. 7 to Dec. 10 — but also because it consists of two distinct branches: the South Taurids and the North Taurids. Both streams appear to originate from the constellation Taurus the Bull. You might see South or North Taurids throughout October and into November.

The South Taurids are the better known of the two showers. You might see a South Taurid meteor anytime from about September 10 to November 20. That's when Earth is plowing through the meteor stream – the stream of comet debris in space – that creates this meteor shower.

The North Taurids stem from a nearby, but slightly different stream. They're active from about October 20 to December 10. Both showers produce about 5 meteors per hour (10 total when they overlap). And they've been known to produce fireballs, or especially bright meteors. So they're worth your time!

There's some evidence that higher rates of Taurid fireballs happen in 7-year cycles. And the last grand fireball display was in 2015. Photos and video of Taurid fireballs here. For more info on the Taurids Meteor shower, visit: EarthSky.org

Leonids, Nov. 16-17: The Leonid meteor shower, produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, runs annually from Nov. 6-30. The Leonids have a cyclonic peak about every 33 years, when hundreds of meteors an hour can be seen — as last happened in 2001 — but this will be an average year with about 15 shooting stars an hour at the peak. A nearly full moon will be troublesome, but the Leonids are known for producing particularly bright shooting stars that even bright moonlight can't blot out. The meteors appear to originate from the constellation Leo.

Oceanside skywatchers will get to enjoy more meteor showers throughout the remainder of the year:

Geminids, Dec. 13-14: The Geminid meteor shower, which runs from Dec. 4-17, is one of the best shooting star shows of the year. Produced by debris left behind by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, discovered in 1982, the Geminids produce anywhere from 50 to 120 multicolored meteors an hour at the peak. A waxing gibbous moon at the peak will block some out, but they are so prolific and bright that the 2021 show should be a good one. The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini, but you'll be able to see them anywhere in the sky.

Ursids, Dec. 21: The Ursid meteor shower runs from Dec. 17-26 and always peaks around the winter solstice. The Ursids are fairly low-key, delivering five or 10 meteors an hour, but on rare occasions can produce outbursts of 100 or more meteors an hour. The meteors appear to come from the Ursa Minor constellation.

As is the case with most nighttime skywatching events, light pollution can hinder your view of meteor showers. If possible, get far away from city lights, which can hinder the show. Go out around 1:30 a.m. and let your eyes adjust to the dark for about 20 minutes. Bundle up against the cold if necessary. Lie back and use only your eyes to watch the sky. Binoculars and telescopes won't improve the view, because they are designed to see more stationary objects in the sky.

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Sources: EarthSky.org, Space.com, AMSMeteors.org