Meteor Activity Outlook for October 31-November 6, 2026

During this period the moon will reach its last quarter phase on Sunday November 1. The half-illuminated moon will rise near 22:00 local standard time (LST). As the week progresses the waning crescent moon will rise later with each passing night allowing the meteor observer to view under darker conditions. Near the end of this period the slender crescent moon will offer no interference at all.

Evening Mid-northern latitudes (45°N)

4 per hour

Evening Southern tropics (25°S)

3 per hour

Morning Mid-northern latitudes (45°N)

14 per hour

Morning Southern tropics (25°S)

9 per hour

This week evening observers can expect total hourly rates of 4 from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and near 3 from tropical southern locations (25°S). Morning observers may see rates near 14 from mid-northern latitudes and near 9 from tropical southern locations. Morning rates are slightly reduced this week due to moonlight.

The actual rates observed will also depend on factors such as personal light and motion perception, local weather conditions, alertness, and experience in watching meteor activity. Note that the hourly rates listed below are estimates based on observations from dark-sky sites away from urban light sources. Observers viewing from urban areas will see less activity, as only the brighter meteors will be visible from such locations.

The radiant (the area of the sky from which meteors appear to originate) positions and rates listed below are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning, October 31/November 1. These positions do not change greatly from day to day, so the listed coordinates may be used throughout this entire period. Most star atlases (available online, in bookstores, and at planetariums) include maps with celestial coordinate grids that can help you locate these positions in the sky.

I have also included charts of the sky that display the radiant positions for evening, midnight, and morning. The center of each chart represents the sky directly overhead at the corresponding hour. These charts are oriented towards facing south but can be used for any direction by rotating them accordingly. A planisphere or planetarium app is also useful for showing the sky at any time of night on any date of the year.

Activity from each radiant is best seen when it is positioned highest in the sky (culmination), either due north or south along the meridian, depending on your latitude. Radiants that rise after midnight will not reach their highest point until daylight; therefore, it is best to view them during the last few hours of the night.

It must be remembered that meteor activity is rarely seen directly at the radiant position. Rather, meteors shoot outward from the radiant, so it is best to center your field of view so that the radiant lies near the edge rather than the center. Viewing in this way allows you to trace the path of each meteor back to the radiant (if it belongs to a shower) or in another direction if it is sporadic. Meteor activity is not visible from radiants located far below the horizon.

The positions below are listed in west-to-east order by right ascension (celestial longitude). The positions listed first are located farther west and are therefore accessible earlier in the night, while those listed farther down the list rise later.

The following sources of meteoric activity are expected to be active this week:

The Northern Taurids (NTA) should be active from a wide radiant located at 03:16 (049) +21. This area of the sky lies in eastern Aries, 1 degree north of the fourth magnitude star known as Botein (delta Arietis). To best see these meteors, observers should face southward near 01:00 LST. To differentiate between the Northern and Southern Taurids, face toward these radiants, as they lie close together in the sky. Rates at this time should be near two per hour, as seen from the northern hemisphere and one as seen from south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 29 km/sec, the average NTA meteor would be of medium-slow velocity.

The wide radiant for the Southern Taurids (STA) is centered near 03:16 (049) +14. This area of the sky lies in western Taurus, three degrees northwest of the 4th-magnitude star 5 Tauri. This radiant is best placed near 01:00 LST, when it lies on the meridian and is highest in the southern sky. Rates at this time should be near three per hour as seen from the Northern Hemisphere and two per hour as seen from south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 27 km/sec, the average STA meteor would also be of medium-slow velocity.

The Orionids (ORI) are active from October 2 through November 12, with maximum activity occurring on October 23rd. The radiant is currently located at 06:48 (102) +16, which places it in southern Gemini, two degrees east of the second magnitude star known as Alhena (gamma Geminiorum). This area of the sky is best placed for observing near 4:00 LST, when it lies highest in the southern sky. Current rates are expected to be less than 1 per hour no matter your location. With an entry velocity of 65 km/sec, the average ORI meteor would be of swift velocity.

Sporadic meteors are those meteors that cannot be associated with any known meteor shower. All meteor showers are evolving and disperse over time to the point where they are no longer recognizable. Away from the peaks of the major annual showers, these sporadic meteors make up the bulk of the activity seen each night.

As seen from the mid-Northern Hemisphere (45N), one would expect to see during this period approximately eight sporadic meteors per hour during the last hour before dawn as seen from rural observing sites. Evening rates would be near three per hour. As seen from the tropical southern latitudes (25S), morning rates would be near six per hour as seen from rural observing sites and two per hour during the evening hours.

The list below provides information in tabular form on active showers within reach of the visual observer.

Class Explanation: A scale to group meteor showers by their intensity:

• Class I: the strongest annual showers with Zenith Hourly Rates normally ten or better.
• Class II: reliable minor showers with ZHR’s normally two to ten.
• Class III: showers that do not provide annual activity. These showers are rarely active yet have the potential to produce a major display on occasion.
• Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR’s rarely exceeding two. The study of these showers is best left to experienced observers who use plotting and angular velocity estimates to determine shower association. These weak showers are also good targets for video and photographic work. Observers with less experience are urged to limit their shower associations to showers with a rating of I to III.