GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's time for another meteor shower in West Michigan, and this one actually started back in October.
The southern and the northern Taurids, named as such for their origination near the constellation Taurus, start in October and peak in early November. The Southern Taurids will peak on November 5th, with the Northern Taurids peaking on November 12th.
This meteor shower will only produce around 5 meteors per hour, but the big draw is the potential for so called "fireball" meteors. We'll circle back to that below.
To view this meteor shower head outside, give your eyes around 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness, and then look to the east-southeast. You will want to look high in the sky, just to the upper right side of the constellation Taurus.
As always with meteor showers, the best viewing will be in areas of open sky, away from any city lights.
The best time for viewing this meteor shower will be from midnight through dawn, though you could see some meteors earlier in the evening as well.
You won't have to worry about clouds around this evening, as skies that were cloudy earlier Thursday have cleared out as we headed into the evening hours.
Your biggest concern will be cooling temperatures, but even then things are not so bad. Expect 50s near midnight, and then 40s overnight.
Lows Thursday night will fall to around 48 in Grand Rapids.
Now, let's get back to what we promised above, the chance for "fireball" meteors!
When you think of the biggest, brightest, and most photogenic meteors you have seen in photos, these are the fireballs. They are exceptionally bright meteors, that can be seen over a large area.
You will not have to wonder if you have scene a "fireball", as you will likely already be saying "WOW!"
The picture below is an example of a "fireball" meteor.
To clear things up some, you are not guaranteed to see a "fireball" tonight or through the remainder of this shower, but what we can say is that the chances for fireballs in this shower are higher than they will usually be in other showers.
Don't worry too much if you can't make it out tonight though, because as stated before there will be a second peak on November 12.
Additionally, there are still three more meteor showers between now and the end of 2020.
These dates are listed below.
As always you can check the latest temperature before heading out on the 13 On Your Side Weather App, and if you take any neat photos, be sure to share them with us so we can share them with West Michigan!
-- Meteorologist Michael Behrens
Follow me on social media! Facebook Meteorologist Michael Behrens, Twitter @MikeBehrensWX, and Instagram @MikeBehrensWX.
Email me at: MBehrens@13OnYourSide.com
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.