Stargazers across Russia will be able to watch two active meteor showers in November, according to Sergei Veselkov, head of the Reshetnev University observatory.
The Northern Taurids and the Leonids will both cross the night sky during the month, delivering visible shooting stars to observers under clear autumn conditions.
The Northern Taurids will reach their peak on November 11 and 12, bringing up to five meteors per hour. The shower is noted for its bright meteors and their relatively slow movement across the sky.
Veselkov said viewing conditions for the Taurids will be ideal this year because of favourable lunar timing. A new moon on November 9 will keep the night sky dark, and the moon will be only ten percent illuminated during the peak nights, with the best viewing window opening after midnight.
Leonid meteor shower peak
The Leonids will follow less than a week later, reaching their maximum activity on November 17 and 18. Astronomers expect the shower to generate up to 15 meteors per hour.
Bright moonlight will reduce visibility during the first half of the night for the Leonids. However, Veselkov noted that viewing conditions will improve significantly after moonset at around 11:00 p.m., allowing stargazers to spot remaining meteor trails until dawn.
Speaking to the TASS news agency, Veselkov urged observers to head to areas with minimal artificial light pollution and to check weather forecasts for cloud cover before setting out.
Science behind the shooting stars
Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through clouds of cosmic dust and debris left along the orbital paths of celestial bodies. When these fragments collide with Earth's atmosphere at extreme speeds, atmospheric friction heats the particles until they burn, producing the luminous streaks seen from the ground.
Reshetnev University, officially the Reshetnev Siberian State University of Science and Technology, is based in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, and operates an astronomical observatory that monitors space phenomena. The November events follow the rare Delta Aurigids meteor shower, which appeared on the night of October 11.
