Meteor Shower

A display of meteors streaking through the sky at rates of several to hundreds per hour. Whenever Earth intercepts a stream of comet debris in orbit around the Sun, some of the debris falls into Earth's atmosphere, producing the meteor shower. Two of the best annual meteor showers are the Perseids in August and the Leonids in November. See our list of this year's meteor showers for more information.

Resources

Meteorites To the people of L'Aigle, France, it must have...
Earth We know our world as an abode for life. Earth is...
Aquarius Thanks to its position in the zodiac, not to...

Radio Programs

Eta Aquarid Meteors Sparks from a “wet” constellation Saturday, May 4, 2013
Comets Icy remnants from the birth of the planets Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Fire and Ice Fire and ice in the sky Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Geminid Meteors Bright accents for a night of skywatching Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Triple Treat A skywatching triple feature Friday, November 16, 2012
Orionid Meteors A trail of lights from a messy comet Saturday, October 20, 2012
Perseid Meteors The perfect spot for the Moon Saturday, August 11, 2012
Comet Swift-Tuttle A famous comet changes its image Wednesday, July 18, 2012
A Fresh Shower A fresh winter meteor shower Saturday, February 4, 2012
Quadrantid Meteors The children of a celestial break-up Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Geminid Meteors Bad timing for a good meteor shower Monday, December 12, 2011
Leonid Meteors A faint but steady meteor shower Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Orionid Meteor Shower Calling cards of a distant comet Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Draconid Meteors The sparks of a fire-breathing dragon Friday, October 7, 2011
Perseid Meteors Drowning out a fading shower Friday, August 12, 2011
Quadrantid Meteors Tracers of a bygone constellation Sunday, January 2, 2011
Geminid Meteors The meteoric fate of a meteor parent Monday, December 13, 2010
Leonid Meteors Enjoying an astronomical light show Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Moon, Planets, and Meteors Moon, planets, and meteors Thursday, August 12, 2010

Featured Images

Orionid Meteor Shower
Orionid Meteors Saturday, October 20, 2012
Geminid Meteors Monday, December 13, 2010
Leonid Meteor Shower 2010
Seeing Sparks Tuesday, November 16, 2010

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