JEDDAH — Stargazers across Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab world will witness the annual peak of the Northern Taurids meteor shower starting Thursday evening through dawn on Friday, offering clear naked-eye viewing away from urban light pollution. According to Eng. Majed Abu Zahra, head of the Jeddah Astronomy Society, the celestial display provides ideal viewing conditions during late-night hours and the period immediately following midnight.
The astronomical event occurs every autumn as Earth passes through a stream of space debris associated with the Comet 2P/Encke complex. While the Northern Taurids do not generate the dense meteor storms seen during other annual showers, the phenomenon is highly anticipated by astronomy enthusiasts across the Middle East for its distinctive, slow-moving streaks and exceptionally luminous fireballs that frequently illuminate dark desert skies.
In his technical advisory, Abu Zahra noted that under optimal atmospheric conditions free from artificial city glare, observers can anticipate a theoretical zenithal hourly rate of approximately five meteors per hour. Despite the modest hourly frequency, the Northern Taurids are widely recognized for producing unusually bright meteors and occasional fireballs, which travel across the upper atmosphere at noticeably slower velocities than faster autumn showers.
This year’s peak coincides with highly favorable lunar conditions across the region, as the thin waxing crescent moon sets early in the evening, leaving the night sky sufficiently dark for optimal astronomical observation. Astronomy specialists recommend that observers venture out to open desert areas or rural elevations well before midnight, allowing roughly 20 to 30 minutes for their eyes to fully adapt to the darkness without needing telescopes or binoculars.
The Northern Taurids appear to radiate from the constellation Taurus, which climbs high overhead around midnight during November, making streaks visible across wide sections of the sky. The display follows closely after the Southern Taurids’ activity, kicking off a busy celestial calendar for regional stargazers ahead of the upcoming Leonids and Geminids meteor showers later this season.
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