Turn Your Eyes To The Sky In Connecticut To Catch A “Halloween Fireball” This October

Celestial events in Connecticut are pretty magnificent. Once you get away from the lights of the cities, we're fortunate enough to have quite a bit of open, remote space where you can get excellent views of meteor showers, planetary parades, and other amazing shows, some of which only happen once in a lifetime. This fall, you'll be able to see the Taurid meteor shower in Connecticut. While this occasion isn't all that rare (it happens each year in both hemispheres), that doesn't make it any less beautiful. Read on to learn when and where to see the Taurids in Connecticut.

The Taurids are a pair of meteor showers that occur each year. Their radiant (the point in the sky from which it looks like they originate) is in the constellation Taurus.

The Northern Taurids come from an asteroid known as 2004 TG. They're typically visible from October 13 to December 2, with the peak appearance happening on November 12.

The Southern Taurids come from Comet Encke and take place from September 23 to December 8, with a peak on November 5.

Both Taurid showers are visible from practically anywhere on the planet except the South Pole, but you'll want to make sure you're in an area away from light pollution.

Many of the Taurids are made up of heavier material than you'd typically find in a meteor shower. While most meteor showers are comprised of small, dust-like granules, pebble-sized Taurids are quite common.

Heavier meteors are referred to as bolides. They're extremely bright and are often followed by smoke trails.

It's easy to see why they're sometimes called Halloween fireballs!

The Taurids tend to have a higher concentration of these than other meteor showers.

Will you be keeping an eye out for the Taurids in Connecticut? Have you ever spotted a shooting star? Share your experiences in the comments!

If you're looking for a cool way to explore the night sky, check out this neat monocular telescope from REI. And if you act fast, you might be able to take a unique moonlight hike in Connecticut.