Meteor Shower

A meteor shower is a celestial event during which a large number of meteors or “shooting stars” are observed to radiate from a specific point in the night sky. These meteors occur when Earth passes through the debris left behind by a comet or, in some cases, an asteroid. As the Earth moves through this debris, small particles, typically ranging in size from grains of sand to small rocks, enter the Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds. The intense friction with the atmosphere causes these particles to heat up and produce bright streaks of light visible from the ground. Meteor showers are often annual events, associated with specific comets, and are named after the constellation from which they seem to originate; for example, the Perseids come from the direction of the constellation Perseus. Meteor showers can be spectacular displays of nature, and during peak activity, dozens or even hundreds of meteors can be seen per hour.