Sky watchers are in for a treat Monday evening as the Northern Taurid meteor showers peak, giving viewers the chance to see streaks of light across the night sky.

The Northern and Southern Taurids are meteor showers resulting from the breakup of a large comet about 10,000 years ago, says Bill Cooke, head of NASA’s Meteor Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The Southern Taurids are debris of Comet Enckethe largest object in the rupture, and the Northern Taurids are debris from asteroid 2004TG10, Cooke says.

They can be very bright, which is why they are often called “fireballs,” and can be seen in September, October and November, according to NASA. The number of visible Taurid meteors can vary each year.

“2024 is a normal year for the Taurids, so rates will be very low, less than 5 meteors per hour,” Cooke says of tonight’s peak activity.

The Northern Taurids are active from October 20 to December 10 and the Southern Taurids are active from late September to late November, he says.

How can I see it?

Showers will be visible across the United States depending on the weather you live in, and you just need to look up. Using your eyesight alone will give you the best chance of seeing the meteors.

“You just want to use your eyes to look at meteors to see as much of the sky as possible,” Cooke says. “Binoculars restrict the field of view and are not useful for observing meteors.”

The Northern and Southern Taurides can be seen where the Taurus zodiac constellation is located in the sky. The moon will be 79% full and the best chance of seeing it will be after midnight, according to the American Meteor Society.

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