Five Facts About Meteor Showers

Caused By Comets

• Comets are a combination of ice and dust. When orbiting near the sun, a comet's surface melts and releases dust, creating meteor fragments. Spread along a comet's orbit, these fragments form a meteor stream. When the orbits of Earth and the comet cross, a meteor shower is formed. The intersection of orbits is why certain meteor showers occur predictably.

Best Observation Time

• If you want to see a meteor shower, observe the sky about midnight. Rotating through dust trails lagging behind comets, Earth is oriented for best viewing of a meteor shower after midnight. You'll also find watching meteor showers is easier during new moons when the sky is darkest. When light reflects from the moon, meteor showers become harder to see.

Leonid Meteor Shower

• A massive meteor storm happened Nov. 12-13, 1833, sparking the study of meteor astronomy. The storm, now known as the Leonid meteor shower, had an intensity of an estimated 60,000 meteors per hour, according to Astronomy Magazine. The Leonid meteor showers occur annually, peaking about Nov. 17. During the 2002 Leonid event, observers witnessed more than 3,000 meteors an hour.

Proximity To Constellations

• Though meteors may be seen throughout the sky, they seem to emanate from certain parts. They usually travel through the same paths and at the same speeds. Nearby constellations give astronomers and onlookers a point of reference, so most meteor showers are named after the collections of stars near where they appear when at their peak. Though constellation knowledge and star charts aren't need to observe a meteor shower, they are useful.

Unlikely To Reach Earth

• Meteors are usually the residue of comets that have had ice evaporate when swinging near the sun. This residue consists of frozen gases and small dust particles about the size of sand grains. When that fragile material enters the upper part of Earth's atmosphere, the material vaporizes. According to Geology.com, no known meteoroids from meteor showers have ever made it to Earth's surface, though particles called comet dust or cosmic debris have landed.