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Taurid Meteor Shower
Photo taken at OLA with a Canon EOS 6D
What are the Taurids?
Every year, between the end of September and the end of November, our planet Earth intercepts the orbit of Comet 2P/Encke. This region is populated by various debris from the comet that is intercepted by the Earth. When it enters our atmosphere, the resistance of the air heats up and becomes incandescent.
The name Taurids derives from the fact that various events in the sky appear to radiate from the constellation Taurus.
The Taurids in 2024
The Taurids present two distinct periods of activity, the first on the night of November 4th to 5th with the moon 11% illuminated, and the second period of activity on the night of November 11th to 12th with the moon 79% illuminated.
Reference: Meteor Showers 2024 – 2025 – American Meteor Society (amsmeteors.org), updated on 28/09/2024
The ZHR value corresponds to “Zenith Hourly Rate” which estimates the number of events that an observer can observe per hour in a dark, moonless sky with the radiant at the zenith.
Although the number of events per hour is low, the Taurids stand out for their high number of bolides. Bolides are events that resemble “fireballs” in the sky.
What is comet 2P/Encke?
Comet 2P/Encke was discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1786 and although there were later observations of the same comet, the observations were not classified as the same body.
It was Johann Frans Encke who, like Halley, after careful analysis of the observations calculated the comet's orbit.
By convention, comets are named after the individual or instrument/telescope that led to their detection, 2P/Encke was named after the researcher who determined its orbit.
The comet has a radius of 4.8 km and a rotation period of 11 hours. There are still no concrete estimates for the comet's mass.
Image captured by the Messenger probe during its approach to Mercury in 2013. The image shows comet 2P/Encke as it moves away from the Sun, with the comet's tail pointing away from the Sun. Reference: MESSENGER > (jhuapl.edu)
Orbital elements
Reference: Base de dados da NASA-JPL (JPL Solar System Dynamics (nasa.gov)), updated on 12/09/2024
The debris
As 2P/Encke approaches the Sun, its temperature increases and the comet begins to lose mass through the ejection of gas, dust and small debris. Some of these meteoroids remain in the comet's orbit and have trajectories that intersect the Earth's atmosphere.
Reference: Global Meteor Network. 2023 Taurided data published on 12 de november 2023.
The ZHR of the Taurids is quite balanced. The number of events increases slowly until it peaks, and then gradually decreases. Despite the low ZHR, the Taurids are notable for their bright events.
The low speed of 30km/s makes the events longer lasting and easier to detect in the sky.
How and when to observe the Taurids at OLA?
The Taurids present two distinct periods of activity, the first on the night of November 4th to 5th and the second on the night of November 11th to 12th .
Taking into account the Moon's illumination of only 11%, the first period will be the best for observing the meteor shower.
The radiant will be at its highest point around 1 am on the 5th.
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We recommend the night of November 4th to 5th or another day during this week .
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The second session of the night will always be the best.