Northern Lights, Taurid Meteors And Venus In The Halloween Sky

ACROSS AMERICA — The strongest solar flare in recent years could give the northern tier of U.S. states a pre-Halloween treat with a spectacular aurora borealis display this weekend, according to weather scientists.

The U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center said a solar flare that erupted early Thursday morning could cause the northern lights to dance Friday and Saturday nights from Washington to Maine and as far south as central Iowa in the nation’s midsection.

For everyone else, fix your vision on Venus, the brightest planet in our solar system. And the peaks of the Taurid meteor showers are approaching — yes, there are two of them.

• Aurora Borealis: Where To See Northern Lights Halloween Weekend

The solar storm is classified as a “G3,” or a strong storm, on the Space Weather Prediction Center’s five-point scale. In the past, the northern lights have been seen as far south as Illinois and Oregon with a storm of that strength.

The storm could last through Halloween, tinging the nighttime skies with waves of green, purple, red and yellow in nature’s most colorful display. But auroras can be hit or miss, depending on a variety of factors. For more on the likelihood the northern lights will be visible where you live, read more on Milwaukee Patch.

Now through the end of the year, look west after sunset to see Venus dazzling. In the Northern Hemisphere at this time of the year, Venus is to the left of the sunset point, according to Earthsky.org.

Third to the sun and the moon, Venus is the third-brightest celestial body in the heavens. It will be the first “star” to appear on any evening from now through the end of December. It will be at its brightest early in the month of December.

There’s a good chance you’ll see Taurid meteors while scanning the sky.

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, which peak Nov. 4-5, and the North Taurids, which peak Nov. 11-12.

• 2021 Guide To Meteor Showers And Other Celestial Events

The southern branch of the Taurid meteor shower is produced by the dust grains left behind Asteroid 2004 TG10, and the source of the northern branch is debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke. Both streams are rich in fireballs. At the peak, a new moon will make for dark skies. The shooting stars appear to radiate from the constellation Taurus, but you'll be able to see them anywhere in the sky.

Also keep an eye out for the Leonid meteor shower, which peaks Nov. 16-17. Produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, the Leonids run 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 2021 is expected to 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.

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