Stargazers across the United States could catch bright meteor showers streaking across the sky this week as the Northern Taurids reach their annual peak. The Northern Taurids are active from October 20 through December 10 this year, but the shower is expected to be at its strongest overnight on November 11-12, according to the American Meteor Society. Viewing conditions could be particularly good this year because the moon will only be about 4 percent illuminated, meaning there will be less moonlight to drown out the meteors.
The weather, therefore, will be one of the biggest factors determining who gets the best view. Forecasts from the National Weather Service (NWS) suggest that parts of the Southwest and central Plains could be among the better places to watch. However, it’s worth noting that the forecast could change before Wednesday night, and conditions can vary dramatically within individual states.
In Arizona, the NWS forecast for the Scottsdale area calls for clear skies Wednesday night, while Albuquerque in New Mexico is also forecast to have clear skies. Kansas is also looking promising. The forecast for Stafford calls for mostly clear skies Wednesday night, while the Wichita-area forecast is also “mostly clear.” In Nebraska, conditions may be slightly less ideal, with the forecast around Spencer calling for partly cloudy skies.
Around Chicago, Illinois, the NWS is predicting a “chance of rain” on Wednesday night. The outlook is less favorable in the Pacific Northwest, where the NWS said a series of North Pacific storms would bring periods of rain, gusty winds and mountain snow into the week. Parts of the Northeast may fare better, though.
Boston, Massachusetts, for example, is currently forecast to have partly cloudy skies on Wednesday night after a sunny Veterans Day. Meteor showers happen when Earth travels through streams of tiny material left behind by objects moving around the Sun. Every year, Earth passes through a large trail of dust and small pieces of rock left behind by Comet Encke.
When this material enters Earth’s atmosphere, it burns up and creates the streaks of light known as the Taurid meteor shower. Put simply, the "shooting stars" that are seen during a meteor shower aren’t stars falling from the sky. They’re flashes or streaks of light that are created when small pieces of space debris enter Earth’s atmosphere.
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