Southern Taurid Meteor Shower 2025 Promises Bright Fireballs in a Rare Swarm Year

The Southern Taurid meteor shower will peak overnight on Nov. 4–5, 2025, promising a spectacular show of bright meteors and fireballs. This annual shower stems from debris of Comet 2P/Encke, and 2025 is a so-called “swarm year” when larger fragments in the stream may enhance the display. Meteor experts say this could produce a flurry of slow, glowing “fireball” meteors for skywatchers, though a bright Moon may dim many of the fainter streaks.

Viewing the Taurids

According to EarthSky.org, a good time to look out for Southern Taurid meteors is in the hours following midnight on the days surrounding the shower's peak. Shooting stars associated with the shower will be visible streaking away from a point of origin called a radiant located in the constellation Taurus, which rises above the horizon shortly after sunset and climbs to its highest point in the southern sky in the hours following midnight. Peak activity is predicted around 13:00 UTC on Nov. 5, 2025, meaning North American observers should look late on Nov. 4 into Nov. 5 (local time). It is recommended to go for the hours after midnight under a clear, dark sky.

Swarm Year Sparks Fireballs

2025 will be a "swarm year" for the Southern Taurids as Earth sifts through the debris left by Comet Encke. Though a near-full Moon may obscure all but the brightest streaks, Space.com reports up to 10 bright Taurid meteors per hour during the peak on Nov. 4–5. Robert Lunsford, an expert with the American Meteor Society, observes that the swarm stream contains abnormally large particles that burn up as brilliant fireballs. These particles are the size of a baseball or a basketball.