PAGASA: Southern Taurid meteor shower peak to be visible in PH

The Southern Taurid meteor shower's peak will be visible in the country from Thursday night to early Friday morning.

According to PAGASA’s Space Sciences and Astronomy Section, the Southern Taurid meteor shower will reach its peak on Thursday, October 10. It will be visible in Manila from 6:37 p.m. Thursday until 5:22 a.m. Friday.

However, the best view would be available at 1 a.m.

''The Moon will be in its first quarter phase during the shower’s peak but will set at around 11:16 p.m., thus, the moonlight will not interfere with the meteor shower viewing,'' PAGASA said.

''Meteor showers are observable through the naked eye, and no special equipment such as telescopes or binoculars is needed. Maximize the viewing experience by choosing a dark observation site away from the city lights under clear and moonless sky conditions.''

PAGASA told GMA News Online that ''the shower rarely produces five meteors an hour on average, even at its peak activity on October 10.''

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said that the Taurid Meteor Shower occurs from September to November yearly when the Earth passes through debris left by the Comet Encke.

While Taurid showers are often weak, it was notably more active in 2024 and will produce more “Taurid Swarms” or bright meteors created from pebble-sized fragments from the comet.

“The annual Taurid meteor shower is going on right now, and we are seeing steady activity in our meteor cameras. Individuals should not be surprised if they see a bright meteor or fireball over the next few nights,” said NASA Meteoroid Environments Office lead Bill Cooke.

The Southern Taurid Meteor Shower started being active on September 10 and will remain active until November 20. —with Sherylin Untalan/NB/VBL, GMA Integrated News