Above Washington, Oregon, the Coast: Taurid Meteors, Two Comets - Excellent Photos

Published 11/01/25 at 6:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Portland, Oregon) – Meteors, comets and fireballs, oh my. That's what may well be on the nighttime menu for many throughout Oregon, Washington and their coastlines. (Photo of Comet K1 Atlas, courtesy Patrick Finney)

The Taurid meteor showers are happening right now and have been making some stellar impressions, and it's just going to get wilder. They're actually two separate showers that overlap but peak at slightly different times, with one peak on November 5 and the other on November 9. These are also known for producing awesome fireballs.

Then, there's still a bit of Lemmon in the skies – Comet Lemmon, that is. And Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) has already been documented from Oregon, although it's doubtful you'll get to see it with the naked eye, even when it gets at its closest to Earth at the end of the month.

One of the money shots recently was taken by Portlander Patrick Finney, who snagged Comet K1 Atlas from his backyard. That's not an easy feat, but he was using a pretty powerful telescope. It's still extraordinarily far away, but it is coming our way, according to OMSI's astronomer Jim Todd.

“If it remains intact, the comet will make two close approaches to Earth on November 26, 2025,” Todd told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. “It is predicted to be at magnitude of +11 or higher within the circumpolar region or near Ursa Major in November. Best view with telescope or binoculars during moonless night.”

Comet Lemmon from Portland, courtesy Patrick Finney

Both this one and Comet Lemmon are made of gas and not dust, said NASA. That makes them more reflective.

The South Taurid meteor shower is active from September 23 to November 12, while the North Taurids follow from October 13 to December 2. Both showers originate from related streams and typically produce around five meteors per hour each, with rates doubling to ten per hour when they overlap. Some of these meteors are bright fireballs, making the Taurids a reliable source of dramatic sightings.

Predicted peak activity for the South Taurids is expected on November 5, which is just when rain and stormy seas kick in for king tides on the Oregon coast and Washington coast. The North Taurids are forecast to peak on November 9. However, both showers are known for their extended periods of activity rather than sharp peaks. They are most noticeable from late October into early November, going at the same time.

There will be clear skies eventually – even in the Pacific Northwest.

Viewing is best around midnight, especially in the days leading up to November 5, when the waxing gibbous moon sets or dips lower in the western sky. The meteor radiant rises in the early evening and reaches its highest point near midnight.

Moonlight will interfere with visibility during the peak times, but they both overlap from now through to November 12.

Comet Lemmon is on its way out of our door – cosmically speaking – but it keeps surprising people. Finney caught a great closeup shot of it last month from Portland.

Cropped from the original from  Manuela Durson Fine Arts - Near the top middle is Comet Lemmon

Down on the southern Oregon coast, Manuela Durson in Bandon was one of many photographers who caught it but didn't know. She went searching for it this week, but couldn't find it. So – as she told Oregon Coast Beach Connection – she just snapped the gorgeous blue hour conditions near Face Rock.

The original from  Manuela Durson Fine Arts

Upon getting those images up on the computer, she found it. There was Lemmon: the tiny, slightly green-tinted fuzzy blob with a tail (and a tail that's actually gotten brighter recently).

She also caught almost a dozen little squiggly lines from satellites zipping through our orbit.

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