Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through a debris field left by a comet, resulting in hundreds or thousands of meteoroids burning up in the atmosphere. They are a popular event for amateur astronomers and best viewed away from city lights on a moonless night. Meteor storms, a more intense version of a shower, are rare but can occur when Earth passes through a particularly dense debris field.
A meteor shower is an astronomical event in which hundreds or thousands of dust-sized meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up almost immediately, creating a short-lived bright streak across the night sky. These particles form a persistent trail, called a meteor stream, behind a comet as it passes around the sun. When the Earth passes through this debris field, the result is a meteor shower. Since meteoroids are rarely larger than a grain of sand, they are usually not considered a threat to the planet.
Every night, Earth observers can expect to see at least one or two meteors streak across the sky. There are literally dozens of different comet streams that can produce meteoroids as Earth navigates through them. More often than not, only a small population in a limited area can experience a particularly strong meteor shower. Even regularly scheduled meteoric events, such as the Perseids or Leonids, vary in intensity each year.
A meteor shower is a very popular astronomical event for amateur astronomers, as it requires no special equipment to observe. Astronomy clubs and local meteorologists can usually suggest peak times and nights for maximum meteor activity. Unfortunately for some observers, these peak times are often very early in the morning. It is not unusual for local observers to open their own viewing facilities.
If you wish to see a meteor shower, plan on leaving the city lights behind. The light generated by cities is considered pollution by professional astronomers. To minimize light pollution, you’ll need to drive at least 20 miles (about 32km) away from any developed city.
Meteors are best seen on a moonless night with clear skies. Bring warm bedding or a sleeping bag, along with a foldable beach or beach chair. The hood of a car can also provide enough support to comfortably view a meteor shower.
Once you find an appropriate vantage point, be prepared to constantly scan the sky. The first blows can be very unexpected and fleeting. Look for sudden streaks of light appearing from a specific point in the sky, usually a constellation such as Perseus or Leo. Astronomers should be able to provide a precise point of origin for meteor activity, although individual streaks can appear from almost anywhere. Keep scanning the sky and keep an eye on the clock as rush hour approaches.
Sometimes, a meteor shower can become an even more intense show called a meteor storm. Such events are rare, but astronomers are often able to calculate the relative strength or weakness of an impending rain. Whenever a comet loses a significant amount of material during a pass around the sun, the resulting stream of meteoroids can be particularly dense. Whenever the Earth passes through such a debris field, a shower can quickly turn into a meteor storm.
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