Author: Mark Boslough, Research Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico

With the Taurid meteor shower now hitting the night skies worldwide, look for what could be a celestial treat – you might see shooting stars, and maybe even fireballs, the biggest and brightest meteors. As the full moon begins to wane after Nov. 15, the sky will be darker, due to diminishing moonlight, so finding the meteors will get easier. That said, the best visibility for the meteors through the rest of the month will come just before moonrise each night. Beyond the light show, there is something else that scientists as well as onlookers have long wondered about: the…