Don't miss the Taurid meteor shower peak with colorful fireballs and shooting stars tonight

An ultra wide view of the night sky with a warped low horizon. Above, many thin blue lines trace stars to show consteallations. Green lines protrude from the center in many directions from a point labeled Northern Taurids.

For the next week or so, if you happen to be outside during the overnight hours and happen to catch a glimpse of a bright and colorful "shooting star" you might very well have just caught sight of a Taurid meteor. This annual meteor display shows up like clockwork every year between the middle of October and the middle of November, but Nov. 5 through Nov. 12 will be the best time to look for them when they reach a broad maximum.

Roughly 8 to 12 meteors per hour might be seen under dark skies during this period. Most meteor showers are at their best after midnight, because their radiants (apparent points of origin) are highest in the sky just before dawn. The Taurid meteor shower is an unusual case where the radiant is highest soon after midnight so the shower can be observed all night.