Not one, but two meteor showers - the Taurids and the Leonids - will be lighting up the skies over the Netherlands over the next couple of days. Here’s everything all you avid stargazers need to know.
If one meteor shower just isn’t enough to satisfy you anymore, then boy, do we have some good news for you: you’ll be treated to both the Taurid and Leonid meteor showers, as they overlap this November.
The Taurid meteor shower is caused by the debris left behind by the Encke’s Comet, which Earth travels through every autumn. Because the debris is so spread out, it takes the Earth quite a while to pass through it all, meaning the meteor shower lasts for a pretty long time. The Leonid meteor shower, on the other hand, is associated with Comet 55P, also known as the Tempel-Tuttle, and gets its name from the Leo constellation.
The Taurids will be peaking in the Northern Hemisphere on the night of November 12 to 13. Sadly, at the peak, you’ll only be able to see around five meteors an hour, but as the Leonids will be making an appearance next week, you will definitely be in with a chance of seeing more meteors than that.
Unlike the Taurids, the Leonids are one of the highlights of the annual astronomical calendar. At the shower’s peak - which falls on the night of November 17 to 18 - you’ll be able to see up to 10 meteors an hour. The Leonid meteor shower is known for its fast, bright meteors with fine trails, so you’re sure to be in for a great show!
All in all, the Taurids will be sticking around for a while, with the shower lasting from October 20 right through to December 10. The Leonids lasts from November 6 to November 30, completely overlapping with the Taurid meteor shower. To improve your odds of getting a glimpse of some meteors, make sure you’re up between midnight and dawn, and head out of the city to an area with little to no artificial light, like a national park. Here’s hoping the Dutch weather stays nice and clear!