Tonight, Vietnam will experience the peak of the "fireball rain".

(NLĐO) - The Southern Taurids is a meteor shower, but its meteors are unusually large and bright, like fireballs, and they move very slowly.

This November, there will be two meteor showers originating from the constellation Taurus. And they are both "fireball showers," not ordinary meteor showers.

A fireball from the Taurids meteor shower - Photo: EARTHSKY

According to NASA, this meteor shower will reach its peak on November 5th. For Vietnam's time zone, the best viewing nights will be the evening of November 4th and the early morning of November 5th.

According to Space.com , in 2024, viewing conditions for the Southern Taurids will be favorable, with the Moon reaching only about 15% brightness during the meteor shower's peak.

However, the Northern Taurids meteor shower – peaking on the night of November 11th and the early morning of November 12th if observed from Vietnam – may be affected by 84% of the moon's brightness, obscuring some of the faintest meteors.

Map showing the locations of the Northern Taurids and Southern Taurids meteor showers - Graphic: NASA

Both of these meteor showers will only release a modest number of meteors per hour. But they will still be spectacular because the meteors in both showers are larger and brighter than in all other meteor showers.

"Taurids are very rich in fireballs, so if you see a Taurid, it can be very bright and will dazzle you, even though their speed is really bad," said NASA meteorologist Bill Cooke.

That's also why the Southern Taurid meteor showers are often called "Halloween fireballs." This meteor shower begins falling a few days before its peak, at the end of October.

Taurid meteors are larger than the meteors that make up other meteor showers, so they can last longer as they pass through Earth's atmosphere.

NASA gives the example of Orionids meteors, which typically burn up at an altitude of about 93 km, while Taurids usually fall to an altitude of up to 66 km.

Taurid meteors also travel at speeds of around 27 km/second; while Perseid meteors glide at speeds of 59 km/second.

Although originating from the constellation Taurus, the "culprit" behind the Taurids fireballs is the giant comet Encke, which has a comet core of approximately 4.8 meters.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/dem-nay-viet-nam-don-cuc-dai-mua-cau-lua-196241104094032011.htm