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The Northern Taurids meteor shower is set to peak overnight on Monday, (11-12 November), with sky watchers eagerly waiting to see the slow-moving, long-lasting meteors light up the night sky. This natural event is viewable from virtually anywhere on the planet, weather permitting. The phase of the Moon may have an impact on visibility.
Although the Southern Taurids peaked earlier this month, the Northern Taurids originate from a near yet slightly different stream, and are expected to remain active between 13 October and 2 December. Unlike other meteors, Taurids are larger and travel relatively slowly, traversing the night sky at about 17 miles per second, which is about half the speed of the Perseids.
Comet Encke generates the Taurid meteor shower as the debris from the comet’s rock and ice enters our atmosphere. Each time Encke ventures closer to our solar system, it inevitably sheds ice and rock, which forms a plethora of debris shrouding the comet. The heat produced by the “comet crumbs” create bright flashes of light as they break up in our atmosphere.
The theory behind Encke having such a vast amount of debris stems from being part of a more oversized comet that had broken up about 20,000 years ago. It has the shortest orbital period of any known comet within our planetary system, as it only takes 3.3 years to orbit the sun. While it may not produce many meteors, its size is made up for with its brightness, often displaying fireballs that make it perfect for astrophotography
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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