2017 Northern Taurid Fireball Over Dolomites Traced to Comet Encke Dust Stream
A 2017 Northern Taurid fireball photographed in the Dolomites was widely reported across Europe and later selected for NASA’s 2026 APOD. Triangulated trajectories link it to Encke’s dust stream rather than sporadic background. The case illustrates how citizen imagery plus standardized reporting can convert a single serendipitous photo into a calibrated orbital constraint on a known meteoroid stream.
The image, taken at sub-freezing temperatures from a mountain pass in Italy’s Alta Badia, shows the meteor flashing east to west beneath Ursa Major during the camera’s long exposure. Multiple visual and photographic records placed the luminous path directly over Germany, allowing triangulation that confirmed an entry velocity and radiant position consistent with the active Northern Taurid stream. The event occurred near peak activity for the shower, which is fed by debris from comet Encke and is known for occasional large, slow-moving fireballs.
Sources (3)
- [1]Primary Source(https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-november-8-major-fireball-meteor/)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://www.imo.net/members/imo_news/2017-taurid-fireball-reports)
- [3]Supporting Source(https://www.amsmeteors.org/2017/11/major-fireball-over-europe-14-november-2017/)