#fireballs

#fireballs

The Taurid meteor shower blooms when Earth flies through debris left behind by Comet 2P/Encke. Encke has among the shortest orbital periods of all comets identified by scientists to date, completing one loop around the sun every 3.3 years. As the object zips around the warmest part of that loop near the sun, its ice turns to gas, which causes the comet to shed dust and other material.

"Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair," NASA says. "Lie flat on your back with your feet facing southeast if you are in the Northern Hemisphere or northeast if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible."