Southern Taurid meteor shower 2026
The Southern Taurids peak on Friday, 6 November 2026, with up to 7 meteors an hour under a dark sky. On the peak night the Moon is 14% lit, and the meteors seem to come from Taurus.
At a glance
- Next peak
- Friday, 6 November 2026
- Meteors an hour
- Up to 7
- Radiant
- Taurus
- Parent
- comet 2P/Encke
- Moon on the peak night
- 14% lit, waning crescent Moon
Where to look
The Southern Taurids seem to come from a point in Taurus, called the radiant. You don't need to look straight at it: meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, and the higher the radiant, the more you see. Times are local solar time on the peak night. Your clock can differ by an hour or more, for example in summer time.
| From | Radiant rises | Highest | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40° north | 5:40 pm | 12:30 am | 65° |
| 35° south | 7:10 pm | 12:30 am | 40° |
The Southern Taurids in the next years
The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year. The Moon figures are for midnight in Sydney on the peak night.
| Peak | Moon | Moon lit |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, 6 November 2026 | waning crescent Moon | 14% |
| Saturday, 6 November 2027 | first quarter Moon | 52% |
| Sunday, 5 November 2028 | waning gibbous Moon | 90% |
| Tuesday, 6 November 2029 | waning crescent Moon | 1% |
| Wednesday, 6 November 2030 | waxing gibbous Moon | 80% |
Where the Southern Taurids come from
The Southern Taurids are dust from comet 2P/Encke. Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere as meteors.
Keep the night of the Southern Taurids
Put the sky above Sydney on the night of the 6 November 2026 peak on a star map. You can change the place, the date and the words in the editor.
Questions about the Southern Taurids
The Southern Taurids peak on Friday, 6 November 2026. The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year, so the nights just before and after are worth a look too.
Up to about 7 at the peak, under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. From most places you see fewer, especially with the Moon up.
Anywhere in the sky. The meteors seem to come from Taurus, but they cross the whole sky, so look at a wide dark patch away from the Moon.
Yes, but fewer. From 35° south the radiant climbs only to 40°, against 65° from 40° north, so you see fewer meteors.
On the 2026 peak night the Moon is 14% lit. That leaves a dark sky for the fainter meteors.
The Southern Taurids are dust from comet 2P/Encke. Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere.
Other meteor showers
More of the night sky
- Upcoming eclipsesEvery lunar and solar eclipse of the next 10 years.
- Night sky tonightThe Moon, the planets you can see and the time it gets dark in your city.
- Night sky on any dateThe Moon, the planets and the stars above any place, from 1900 to 2100.
- Moon phase on your birthdayThe phase and the shape of the Moon on the day you were born.