Taurid meteor shower peaks Friday night; Look for spectacular 'fireballs'

By Terry Eliasen, WBZ-TV Meteorologist, Executive Weather Producer

BOSTON - The warm forecast for the weekend may be stealing all the headlines, but there are also some very cool nighttime sky events to keep an eye out for.

First up. . . 

Moon and Jupiter

Friday night around 9 p.m. the Moon and Jupiter will be very close by in the SE sky. . . a great opportunity to see our solar system's most massive planet with the naked eye! The pair will also be close on Saturday night, although there may be a few more clouds around.

Taurid Meteor Shower

The Taurids are a rather interesting meteor shower - think of them as an all or nothing event. Peaking Friday night, the Taurids are typically one of the most sparse showers of the year. You would be lucky to see a handful each hour. BUT, the Taurids have been dubbed the "Halloween Fireballs" due to how bright and spectacular they can be.

They appear brighter than the typical meteor because the Taurids tend to be slightly larger and therefore travel farther through the Earth's atmosphere.

There is reason to hope that this year, we could encounter a Taurid "swarm" or an uptick in the number of meteors. .  . scientists have noticed that every seven years we tend to hit a peak in Taurid activity. The last such peak was in 2015, and here we are seven years later in 2022.

One other important note regarding the Taurids: There are typically two peaks as the Earth passes through two separate streams over the next week or so. Peak number one is tonight and then a second peak is expected around Nov. 12. In between the two peaks (over the next week) there could be stragglers, so really you could see a shooting star just about any night in the next seven days or so.

Related: Bright meteor seen streaking across the sky over New England

There really is no secret for how to see meteor showers. The best advice is just to find the darkest spot possible, away from city and artificial lights. Also, find a spot with as much of a view of the sky as possible without any obstructions. And, finally, meteor showers are always best late at night, typically midnight or later.

One complicating factor? The Moon. The brightness of the Moon will take away from some of the vividness of the meteors. The Moon will set just after 4 a.m. Saturday morning, so ultimately the best time to view the show might be between about 4:15 a.m. and dawn on Saturday.

One last thought: There is a chance that you could see a few meteors during the Lunar Eclipse next Tuesday morning! In fact, given that the Moon will be completely within the Earth's shadow, the sky will be quite dark in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday.

Happy hunting!