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What are meteor showers?
A meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through a stream of cosmic debris left by a comet or asteroid. As these tiny particles enter our atmosphere, they burn up, creating streaks of light we call 'shooting stars'. The Perseids are famous for being particularly bright and numerous, making them a spectacular annual display.
Stories that explain this
September sky offers rare chance to see Neptune and Beehive Cluster Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight with over 100 shooting stars possible Halley's Comet debris fuels autumn's meteor showersRelated explainers
How do we watch meteor showers? Why do we see more meteors? What is the Beehive Cluster? How bright is Neptune? What is Halley's Comet? What is a lunar occultation? Why is the Moon important? What are the Perseids?The full catalogue
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