After the Orionids came by in October, and with several people having recently spotted the Northern Lights, the past few weeks have been a busy time for sky-watchers. Thankfully, the fun isn’t over yet, with the Taurids and Leonids meteor showers on the way for November!
Some lucky stargazers may have been able to spot a few meteors already, since the Southern Taurids already peaked on November 5, but here in the Netherlands, the Northern Taurids will peak this weekend, on the night between November 11 and 12. At the peak, there will be around five meteors every hour, so you’d better get a cup of tea and wrap up warm if you’re planning to stay out looking for a while!
The story for the Leonids is even better - with these meteors, you can expect to see up to 10 per hour, and they are known for being extraordinarily bright in the sky! The Leonids are an annual favourite for stargazers, due to their relative abundance and bright quality!
As is always the case with meteor showers, your best bet is to head to somewhere dark like a national park to spot them. In Friesland, there is also a protected Dark Sky Park, where visitors can enjoy observing the night sky without the interruption of light pollution.
Though the weather may not be optimal, the level of moonlight is set to be low for the peak of the Taurids, meaning that even in the city, you might be able to spot some if you’re lucky. For the Leonids, the moon is expected to be brighter, at around 29 percent of its possible brightness.