Taurid meteors 2026: when the Halloween fireballs are worth watching

The Southern and Northern Taurids overlap from late October into mid-November. Plan around the broad high-rate periods near November 5 and 12, when the Moon is much less disruptive than it is just after the October 26 Full Moon.

The International Meteor Organization places the highest 2026 rates around November 5 for the Southern Taurids and November 12 for the Northern Taurids. The American Meteor Society gives the practical peak nights as November 4–5 and 11–12, while the RASC prediction reported by EarthSky is about 19:00 UTC November 5 and 18:00 UTC November 12. These are broad, low-rate showers rather than one-minute events, so choose a clear nearby night instead of chasing an exact UTC instant.

The Southern date needs context. The American Meteor Society separates an annual component near October 14 from a fireball-associated component near November 5, while the Royal Observatory Greenwich lists October 10. That disagreement is not a reason to invent a single precise peak: Southern Taurids remain active for weeks, overlap the Northern branch in late October and early November, and reward repeated short watches more than one all-or-nothing session.

Moonlight sets the useful 2026 schedule. The US Naval Observatory places Full Moon at 04:12 UTC on October 26, Last Quarter at 20:28 UTC on November 1 and New Moon at 07:02 UTC on November 9. The bright waning Moon suppresses faint meteors in late October, but AMS describes only limited lunar interference on November 4–5 and little or none on November 11–12. Use local moonrise and moonset rather than phase alone.

Both branches are visible from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, although Taurus climbs higher for many northern observers. The radiant rises during the evening and is best placed around local midnight. You do not need to face Taurus: meteors can appear anywhere, and looking well away from the radiant often gives longer trails. A broad, unobstructed view matters more than a named destination.

Keep the numbers modest. AMS lists an idealized zenithal hourly rate of about 5 for each branch, and EarthSky notes roughly 10 combined while they overlap. Those figures assume a dark, clear sky with the radiant favorably placed; a real suburban observer usually sees fewer. NASA links the Taurid stream to Comet 2P/Encke and notes its occasional bright fireballs, but no source can promise one on a particular night.

Use your eyes, not a telescope or binoculars. Find the darkest safe site you can reach, block direct lights, settle into a comfortable position and allow at least 20 minutes for dark adaptation. Check hourly cloud and haze for the nights around November 5 and 12, then pick the clearest moonlight window rather than waiting under cloud for a nominal peak.