Northern Taurids
General data
| Shower | Northern Taurids |
|---|---|
| IAU Shower Number | 17 |
| IMO Acronym | NTA |
| Activity interval | Sep 25 - Nov 27 |
| Date of maximum in 2010 | November 11 |
| Geocentric Velocity | 31 km/s |
| Population index | 2.3 |
Notes:
- Population index gives the magnitude distribution of the shower meteors: indexes below 2.5 correspond to distributions where bright meteors are more frequent than average, while values over 3.0 mean that the fraction of faint meteors is larger than usual.
Description
The Taurids are the most active and differentiated part of a large complex, called the ecliptic complex, formed by meteoroids with orbits very close to the plane of the ecliptic. The ecliptic complex is so vast that produces meteors throughout the year, particularly through the pseudo-radiant known as the anthelion source. The Taurid complex stands out clearly in the ecliptic complex, with its own characteristics and enough activity to begin the identification and characterization of its structure, although -for practical reasons- observers and ephemerides tend to distinguish only between Southern and Northern Taurids.
Observationally, the complex is characterized by wide and poorly-defined radiants, and relatively slow and bright meteors. In addition, an orbital resonance causes periodic activity outbursts, with more frequent fireballs. Modern calendars and ephemerides generally give an activity interval of about two months for the Taurids, as during that period they stand over the typical anthelion source activity. Actually, the anthelion source is considered inactive during this period.
It is well known the similarity between the orbits of the Taurids and that of comet 2P/Encke. In 1940, Fred Whipple suggested that both comet Encke and the Taurids could arose from the disintegration of a large comet, and subsequent work has pointed in that direction. It is currently believed that asteroids 2003 QC10, 2004 TG10, 2003 UL3 and 2005 TF50 are also remnants of such event. Thus, the Taurids are a good example of how the observation of meteor showers can provide information about the past of our Solar System.
Radiant position and activity
Local circumstances have been computed for latitude ? and longitude ?. Click on any of the two coordinates to set them manually with a map.
| Date | R.A. | Decl. | ZHR | Rise | % moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum | 56° | 22° | 5 | 25 | |
| September 7 (0h UTC) | Inactive | ||||
Meaning of columns is the following:
- R.A. and Decl.: Right ascension and declination of radiant at maximum, referred to ICRS. ICRS is the reference system used by modern star catalogs.
- ZHR: Zenith Hourly Rate. It is the maximum number of meteors that an observer could see under ideal conditions, with clear skies and the radiant at zenith.
- Rise: Time of geometric rise of the radiant, expressed in local time. Symbol * means that the radiant is circumpolar for your latitude.
- % Moon: Percentage of Moon's illumination at 0h UTC of the given date.
If you are in doubt about these concepts, please visit the meteor area.