Here's all you need to know about the next South Taurids shooting star shower

One of October's most notable astronomical events is the South Taurids shooting star shower. Which comet is it related to? When will its activity peak and how many meteors can we expect? We tell you all about it in this article.

South Taurids: Where does the name come from?

As a reminder, an event of this kind is (almost) always associated with a comet. The recent Perseid meteor shower, for example, was linked to comet 109/Swift-Tuttle. In this case, the South Taurids shower is linked to comet 2P Encke, discovered by French astronomer Pierre Méchain in 1786 but named after German astronomer Johann Franz Encke.

The radiant of this shooting star shower is in the constellation Taurus, from which it takes its name! There is also a Northern Taurid shooting star shower, which is not affiliated to a comet but rather to an asteroid: 2004 TG. As its periodicity is very close to that of comet 2P Encke, astronomers believe that this asteroid is in fact a fragment of the latter.

Read more:From meteor showers to blood moons: Here’s all you need to know about the night sky events in November

Peak activity of the South Taurids shooting star shower

This astronomical event runs from September 10 to November 20, reaching its peak on October 13. However, this will not be the most impressive meteor shower of the year.

Only 5 to 6 meteors per hour are expected. This pales in comparison with the Perseids and its hundred-odd meteors per hour.

Rest assured, there are other major events to look forward to this month, such as the next annular lunar eclipse and the Hunter's Full Moon.

Read more:October stargazing tips from NASA: Sightings of Jupiter and Saturn, meteor showers and more

This article has been translated from Gentside FR.