This is a dated 2026 observing guide. Check the source calendar and local conditions before making plans; future years need a fresh forecast.
Source review: . Reviewer and owner: Jonas Keller. Next review: . Recheck sooner if a linked source or tool changes. To report errors, email hello@skylumi.app.
Two peaks, one long season
The International Meteor Organization’s calendar lists the Southern Taurids active from September 20 to November 20, 2026. Its maximum falls around November 5. The Northern Taurids run October 20 to December 10, peaking around November 12.
Both are date-only peaks in the source calendar, without a stated clock time. Treat each date as the center of a broad, gently active week rather than a single appointment.
As with the other 2026 dated pages here, we could not reach imo.net or the American Meteor Society this week. Both report being offline after a cyber attack. This page uses SkyLumi’s existing catalog, built from the IMO calendar before the outage began.
The Moon cooperates both nights
Around November 5, the Moon is a waning crescent, about 14% lit, several days past last quarter. Around November 12, it is a waxing crescent, roughly 10% lit, just past new. Neither night has a bright Moon to fight.
That matters more than usual here. A Taurid fireball is often the whole point of the evening. Even one bright streak is easy to miss under a washed-out sky.
One radiant area, near Taurus
Both branches radiate from the direction of Taurus, close to the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters. The Southern Taurids sit slightly lower in that region; the Northern Taurids sit slightly higher.
Taurus rises in the evening in November and climbs through the night. Both branches are workable from mid-evening onward, unlike a shower that only rewards the hours before dawn.
Use the Pleiades guide to find that patch of sky first. The Taurid radiant sits nearby, and meteors can appear well away from it.
Low rate, high drama
The IMO benchmark ZHR is about 7 for the Southern branch and 5 for the Northern branch. Both are modest next to a shower like the Geminids, and most hours will be quiet.
The Taurids are known for fireballs instead. These are meteors far brighter than an ordinary shooting star. Some are bright enough to be reported as a flash from indoors. They come from a broad, dusty stream tied to comet 2P/Encke, with some larger particles than most showers. A bright fireball is possible on any Taurid night, not guaranteed.
A patient evening plan
Pick a dark site with a clear view toward the east in the evening, where Taurus rises. A reclining chair beats standing for a long watch.
Give this shower more time than a burst of five minutes. Because the count is low, a short glance is more likely to see nothing than to see something. An hour under a dark sky is a fairer trial than a quick look on the way inside.
SkyLumi can help you find Taurus and Pleiades before you settle in for the evening. It does not forecast fireballs or send an alert when one happens.
Sources and image credits
- International Meteor Organization: 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar. Southern and Northern Taurids activity windows, peak dates, ZHR and radiant, Table 5 and Table 6. A live re-fetch was attempted 8 September 2026. imo.net was offline after a reported cyber attack. This cites the edition already reviewed for this catalog on 6 September 2026.
- NASA: meteors and meteorites. Fireball and stream context; NASA does not publish a dedicated Taurids page.
- US Naval Observatory: Moon phase and illumination. Fraction of the Moon illuminated on November 5 and November 12, 2026, fetched 8 September 2026.
Written for beginners from the sources above. How we research and correct the library. Found an error? Tell us.