Clear skies tonight could give you a show without leaving home. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) is inviting the public to watch the Northern Taurids meteor shower from the evening of 12 November 2026 until dawn on 13 November, and says there will be no moonlight to wash it out.
When and where to look
In its daily astronomy calendar post on 12 November, NARIT said the shower's radiant, the point in the sky the meteors appear to fly out from, sits in the constellation Taurus and rises in the east at around 18:30. Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky through the night until dawn, so you do not need to stare at one spot. NARIT's post puts the rate at about 10 meteors an hour, as reported by The Nation and Thairath English. Its annual 2026 calendar had estimated a lower peak of 5 an hour, so expect a steady trickle rather than a storm.
The weather matters as much as the timing. The Thai Meteorological Department forecast a partly cloudy night for Bangkok and its surrounding provinces, but heavy to very heavy rain and thundershowers across 14 southern provinces, including Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat, for the 24 hours to 06:00 on 13 November. Readers in the north, where the department expects cool, mostly dry mornings, are likely to have the better view.
Two more chances before the year ends
If tonight is cloudy, NARIT's 2026 calendar lists two more meteor showers. The Leonids peak on the night of 17 to 18 November at up to about 15 meteors an hour. The Geminids on 14 to 15 December are the year's strongest, at up to about 150 an hour. Earlier showers this year were the Lyrids in April, the Perseids in August, the Orionids in October and the Southern Taurids on 5 to 6 November.
As a rule, the further you are from city lights, the more you will see. NARIT also runs free Saturday public stargazing nights at its regional observatories this season; see MEM's guide to NARIT's 2026 to 2027 stargazing season for sites and times.