Northern Taurids 2026: peak night & viewing forecast

Slow, bright meteors; combined with the Southern Taurids in early November.

See the live viewing map for the Northern Taurids

Key facts

Peak night (2026)
Wed, Nov 11
Active period
Tue, Oct 13Thu, Dec 10
ZHR (ideal-sky ceiling)
5/hr
Moon on peak night
🌒 8%
Meteor speed
29 km/s
Parent body
2P/Encke complex

Frequently asked

When do the Northern Taurids peak in 2026?

The Northern Taurids reach maximum activity on the night of Wed, Nov 11, 2026 (computed from the shower's solar-longitude peak, the method the International Meteor Organization uses). The shower is active from Tue, Oct 13 to Thu, Dec 10.

How many meteors will I actually see?

The often-quoted ZHR of 5 is a theoretical ceiling (perfectly dark sky, radiant overhead). Real counts depend on your sky: from a dark-sky site expect a meaningful fraction of that; from a suburb, far fewer. Meteorcast computes the expected visible rate for your exact spot and night.

What about the moon during the 2026 peak?

The moon is 8% illuminated on the peak night — nearly moonless — excellent conditions for faint meteors.

Where should I watch from?

Somewhere dark, with an open sky and clear weather. Use the live map to compare cloud forecast, air transparency, and light pollution anywhere in North America, and to find ranked dark-sky sites near you.

Other meteor showers

Peak times computed from the shower's solar longitude (IMO method) with precession correction; moon illumination from high-precision ephemeris. Forecasts on the live map combine ECMWF, GFS, and ICON weather models with smoke, transparency, and light-pollution analysis.