North Taurid meteor shower puts on show in midnight sky for stargazers with patience

The annual spectacle unfolds in the nighttime sky between September and November every year when the Earth passes through a debris field from Comet Encke. The dust associated with the comet hits the Earth's atmosphere at 65,000 mph and burns up, creating the Taurids, according to NASA.

While the Taurids produce only a handful of shooting stars an hour during some years, the fireballs that streak across the sky are often bright and spectacular.

The peak time to see this year's celestial display is around midnight this week, but NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com viewers will be able to see the meteors through late November.