Northern Taurids 2026: The Later Taurid Window

1. Oct. 20Northern branch begins
2. Nov. 5Southern branch maximum
3. Nov. 9New Moon
4. Nov. 11-12Northern planning maximum

Timeline data: International Meteor Organization, reconciled with the American Meteor Society where noted. No nationwide local peak time is claimed.

By the time the Southern Taurids reach their early-November maximum, the Northern branch is already active. The Northern Taurids then carry the broader Taurid season later, with a reference maximum around November 12 and activity continuing into December.

This page owns that later planning decision. It should not repeat the Southern page with a different date.

IMO lists the Northern Taurids from October 20 through December 10 and places the maximum around November 12. IMO also notes that earlier results suggested plateau-like rates for roughly ten days in early to mid-November, so the maximum may not be as sharp as one date implies.

AMS labels the peak night November 11-12. This is a normal overnight framing difference rather than a reason to invent a local peak hour.

The Northern and Southern branches overlap, and the broader Taurid complex dominates this part of the sky through much of the northern autumn. That is why observers may notice occasional slow meteors across several weeks instead of one sudden burst.

A meteor's exact branch may not be obvious to a casual observer. The useful distinction is the planning window: Southern around November 5, Northern around November 12.

IMO notes a New Moon on November 9 and favorable optical conditions between the two branch maxima. AMS lists a low illuminated fraction near the Northern peak. The important result is a dark early-to-mid-November window, provided local clouds and artificial light cooperate.

IMO lists a ZHR near 5. That is a low idealized rate. Long gaps are normal, and many meteors seen during a session may be sporadic or associated with the overlapping Southern branch.

The reason to watch is the possibility of a slow, bright Taurid, not a rapid sequence of meteors. Fireball potential is a characteristic of the stream, not a promise for 2026 or for one night.

The Northern Taurid radiant is available for much of the night. Because the peak may be broad, use the clearest dark window across several nights around November 12. There is little value in forcing the listed date if a nearby night has materially better conditions.

Watch a broad area of open sky. The radiant helps classify meteors but is not a visual target.

A darker location improves the chance of seeing faint meteors, but the Northern Taurids remain low-rate. A drive is more defensible when the destination also offers a useful general observing session, legal access and a forecast window at least as strong as home.

A nearby fallback is especially useful because the broad activity gives you more than one workable date.

• Treating November 12 as a narrow appointment
• Expecting a guaranteed fireball
• Confusing the branch dates
• Choosing darker terrain with worse weather
• Watching through direct glare
• Assuming an unverified map point is open at night

Compare the November 9-13 windows, check local conditions and save both Taurid pages if you want to follow the overlap. Use this page for the later Northern-branch decision.

The maximum may be broad, branch identification is difficult for casual observers and fireballs cannot be predicted for one session.

• International Meteor Organization 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar - Activity dates, November 12 maximum, rate, plateau possibility, New Moon and branch overlap.
• American Meteor Society Meteor Showers 2026-2027 - November 11-12 peak-night framing, low normal rate and Moon illumination.
• NASA 2P/Encke - Taurid parent-body association and fireball characteristic.
• NASA Meteors and Meteorites Facts - Meteor-shower mechanism and Taurid-Encke association.