Taurid meteor shower 2026: UK peak night and best time
0% moon
Southern Taurids peak: 9–10 Oct 2026 Active now
Active 10 Sep – 20 Nov 2026. Today 10 Sep Peak 20 Nov Best around midnight, when Taurus is high in the south.
Up to 5 meteors an hour at the peak under a perfectly dark sky; expect fewer in practice. On the peak night, moonlight is no problem: the Moon is only 0% lit.
Then the Northern Taurids: peak night 11–12 Nov 2026. Moonlight is no problem: the Moon is only 8% lit.
The Taurids at a glance
- Radiant
- Taurus, just south and west of the Pleiades
- Parent
- Comet 2P/Encke
- Meteor speed
- About 28 km/s (62,636 mph)
- Peak rate (ZHR)
- Up to 5 an hour
How many meteors to expect
Two long, gentle showers, the Southern and Northern Taurids, each giving about 5 to 7 meteors an hour at best. They overlap from late October into November. You watch the Taurids for their fireballs: the meteors are slow, at about 27 to 29 km/s, and the larger ones are bright and can last a second or more.
How to find the radiant
Find the Pleiades, the tight little cluster of stars sometimes called the Seven Sisters, rising in the east in the evening in October and November. The two radiants lie just below it and to its right, towards the V-shaped Hyades and the orange star Aldebaran. Taurus is highest in the south around midnight, so the hours either side of midnight are best.
About the Taurids
The Taurids come from Comet Encke, and Earth passes through its broad, old stream for about three months each autumn. Some years bring far more bright Taurids than usual. Astronomers link these "swarm years" to a clump of larger particles held together by Jupiter's gravity, in a 7:2 orbital resonance with the planet. In swarm years the fireballs come in the week or so around 3 November. Recent swarms came in 2022 and 2025.
Comet Encke, the Taurids' parent
Comet 2P/Encke is the source of both Taurid branches. It returns to the inner solar system every few years, and its 2026–27 return is one of its best for UK observers since 2003. The comet is low in the evening sky through December 2026, then well up in the south-west after dark in early January 2027. It may reach magnitude 4 or 5, so take binoculars; comet brightness is hard to predict.
Where to watch the Taurids in the UK
Get away from street lights to somewhere with a wide view of the sky. Britain’s darkest skies sit over its upland national parks and Dark Sky Parks; each area below lists the peaks with forecasts and stargazing scores.
Taurids questions
When is the Taurid meteor shower 2026?
The Southern Taurids are active from 10 September to 20 November 2026 and peak on the night of 9–10 Oct 2026. The Northern Taurids are active from 20 October to 10 December 2026 and peak on the night of 11–12 Nov 2026.
What time is best to see the Taurids?
Best around midnight, when Taurus is high in the south. On the peak night, moonlight is no problem: the Moon is only 0% lit.
Where should I look to see the Taurids?
The meteors appear to come from Taurus, just south and west of the Pleiades. Find the Pleiades, the tight little cluster of stars sometimes called the Seven Sisters, rising in the east in the evening in October and November. The two radiants lie just below it and to its right, towards the V-shaped Hyades and the orange star Aldebaran. Taurus is highest in the south around midnight, so the hours either side of midnight are best.
How many Taurids will I see?
Two long, gentle showers, the Southern and Northern Taurids, each giving about 5 to 7 meteors an hour at best. They overlap from late October into November. You watch the Taurids for their fireballs: the meteors are slow, at about 27 to 29 km/s, and the larger ones are bright and can last a second or more.
More showers: Quadrantids · Lyrids · Eta Aquariids · Southern Delta Aquariids · Alpha Capricornids · Perseids · Draconids · Orionids · Leonids · Geminids · Ursids. Every sky event this year: the UK sky calendar.