If you’re looking for something to take your mind off the election, look no further, as the Northern Taurids will peak next week, putting on a show for stargazers.
While the Northern Taurids are a spectacle worth witnessing, they aren’t the only meteor shower in the night sky right now, as the Southern Taurids are also lighting up the night, though that shower peaked on Tuesday, EarthSky shared.
The two meteor showers only produce around five visible meteors per hour if viewing conditions are ideal. However, Sally Brummel, planetarium manager at the University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum, shared with CBS News that they are often very bright fireballs.
“What’s notable is that they’re likely to produce brighter and longer-lasting meteors than some other showers, even if there aren't as many,” she said.
The Northern Taurids are expected to peak on Nov. 12, though they may be obstructed by moonlight, with the moon being 79% full. The Southern Taurids peaked on Tuesday, though both will be visible until December.
To view the meteor showers, stargazers don’t need any special equipment, just clear conditions. The meteor showers occur annually and, like most others, originate from the debris of comets, in this case, the comet Encke.
The meteors light up when they enter Earth’s atmosphere, as the resistance makes them very hot and causes the air to glow around them. Astronomers refer to the meteors as “fireballs” when they do this, according to Space.com.
After the Taurids, the next big meteor shower is the Leonids, which will peak in the early morning of Nov. 17.