Northern Taurid meteor shower 2026
The Northern Taurids peak on Thursday, 12 November 2026, with up to 5 meteors an hour under a dark sky. On the peak night the Moon is 12% lit, and the meteors seem to come from Taurus.
At a glance
- Next peak
- Thursday, 12 November 2026
- Meteors an hour
- Up to 5
- Radiant
- Taurus
- Parent
- comet 2P/Encke
- Moon on the peak night
- 12% lit, waxing crescent Moon
Where to look
The Northern 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 | 17:10 | 00:30 | 72° |
| 35° south | 19:30 | 00:30 | 33° |
The Northern 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 San Pawl il-Bahar on the peak night.
| Peak | Moon | Moon lit |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 12 November 2026 | waxing crescent Moon | 12% |
| Saturday, 13 November 2027 | waxing gibbous Moon | 98% |
| Sunday, 12 November 2028 | waning crescent Moon | 27% |
| Monday, 12 November 2029 | first quarter Moon | 49% |
| Tuesday, 12 November 2030 | waning gibbous Moon | 93% |
Where the Northern Taurids come from
The Northern 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 Northern Taurids
Put the sky above San Pawl il-Bahar on the night of the 12 November 2026 peak on a star map. You can change the place, the date and the words in the editor.
Questions about the Northern Taurids
The Northern Taurids peak on Thursday, 12 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 5 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 33°, against 72° from 40° north, so you see fewer meteors.
On the 2026 peak night the Moon is 12% lit. That leaves a dark sky for the fainter meteors.
The Northern 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.