SAN FRANCISCO — The next useful night-sky event on the calendar is not a high-volume meteor storm. It is something subtler: the Southern Taurids, a long-running shower that can produce unusually bright, slow-moving fireballs.
The American Meteor Society lists the Southern Taurids’ next peak for the night of Wednesday, Nov. 4 into Thursday, Nov. 5. The shower is active from Sept. 20 through Nov. 20, so a fireball is possible on surrounding nights too.
What time should San Francisco watch?
For San Francisco, the most practical window is late Wednesday night through the pre-dawn hours Thursday. You do not need to stare at Taurus itself: meteors can appear anywhere across a wide open sky. Give your eyes about 20 minutes away from bright screens and streetlights.
The shower’s radiant climbs higher as the night advances, so later hours generally improve the geometry. The 2026 moon is a waning crescent and should create much less interference than a full or gibbous moon.
How many meteors will there be?
AMS gives the Southern Taurids a zenithal hourly rate of about 5 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. City observers should expect fewer. That number is why this is not a story about a spectacular meteor storm.
The attraction is brightness. Taurid material enters the atmosphere relatively slowly, and the shower has a reputation for producing fireballs — meteors bright enough to stand out even when the overall rate is low.
Is 2026 a Taurid swarm year?
No. The American Meteor Society specifically says 2026 is not a swarm year. That matters because “Halloween fireballs” can sound like a prediction of dozens of bright meteors. It is not. The better expectation is a low-rate shower with a chance of seeing one or more memorable bright events if skies cooperate.
Where should you look from San Francisco?
The best location is one with the widest, darkest horizon you can reach safely. West-facing beaches can reduce city glare in part of the sky, while higher open spaces can offer a broader view. Fog remains the biggest local wildcard, so check live cloud conditions before making a long trip.
Avoid standing on road shoulders or closed park areas simply to chase a darker view. A safe open sky matters more than finding the theoretically darkest point in the city.
What comes after the Southern Taurids?
The Northern Taurids peak about a week later, on the night of Nov. 11–12, with even more favorable moonlight. The two Taurid branches overlap in early November, which is why bright fireball reports can continue beyond the Southern peak.