Look Up in The Iowa Sky TONIGHT to See These Fireballs!

The skies over Iowa have been quite the place to see some stellar sites as of late.  The Lights of the North have visited Iowa,  Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) flew by recently and you can read about those heavenly events in our Recent Iowa flybys.  Tonight if you look into the Iowa sky you could see some very cool stuff.

What is viewable tonight in the Iowa sky?

Monday night, get ready for a cosmic light show because the North Taurid meteor shower is peaking! That means you might catch some bright streaks zipping across the sky—perfect for anyone who loves stargazing, or anyone who just wants to pretend they’re starring in their own sci-fi movie.

So where do these meteors come from? NPR Reports thousands of years ago, a giant comet had a serious breakup (we’re talking big space drama here). The leftover debris from that cosmic split-up is what causes the Taurid meteor showers. The South Taurids come from the biggest chunk of the broken comet, Comet Encke.

Meanwhile, the North Taurids are leftovers from asteroid 2004TG10. So, when you see one of these meteors, you’re literally watching dust and rock from a space breakup that happened about 10,000 years ago. It’s like space history happening right before your eyes—how wild is that?

How Do You See The Meteors Tonight?

Want to catch the Taurid meteor shower? It’s pretty easy—Take your head and tilt it in the upward position.  Not too high now, don't get some kind of neck injury. The meteors will be visible across the U.S., as long as the weather plays nice (clouds, you’ve been warned). The best way to spot them is with your naked eye—no fancy gear is needed.

The American Meteor Society says to catch the North and South Taurids, aim your gaze toward the zodiac constellation Taurus. That’s where the meteors will originate, but you don’t have to pinpoint it exactly—just find a dark spot with a good view of the sky.

The moon will be 79% full, so it’ll be bright enough to add some sparkle, but not so bright that it’ll hide the meteors. For the best show, hang out until after midnight when the sky is darker, and the meteors will be easier to spot, So, grab a blanket, kick back, and enjoy the cosmic fireworks!

Just in case, Earthsky shows you how to locate Taurus, by using the three stars of Orion's belt, then extend the line they form upwards and west until you reach Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus.