What is a Meteor Shower?

In this short video explainer, Universe Today publisher Fraser Cain explains what a meteor shower is and gives you some tips and tricks on how to enjoy them.

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When tiny grains of dust impact our atmosphere, they leave a trail of glowing material, like a streak of light across the sky.

This is a meteor, or a shooting star.

On any night, you can go outside, watch the sky, and be guaranteed to see one.

Individual meteors start as meteoroids - pieces of rock smaller than a pebble flying around the Solar System.

Even though they're tiny, these objects can be moving at tens of thousands of kilometers per hour.

When they hit Earth's atmosphere, they release tremendous amounts of energy, burning up above an altitude of 50 kilometers.

As they disintegrate, they leave a trail of superheated gas and rocky sparks which last for a moment in the sky, and then cool down and disappear from view.

Throughout the year there are several meteor showers, when the number of meteors streaking through the sky increases dramatically. This happens when the Earth passes through the trail of dust left by a comet or asteroid.

Meteor showers are when night sky puts on a special show, and it's a time to gather your friends and family together and enjoy the spectacle.

Some showers produce only a trickle of objects, while others, like the famous Perseid meteor shower, can dependably bring dozens of meteors each hour.

If the trail is dense enough, we can get what is called a meteor storm.

The most powerful meteor storms in history truly made it look like the sky was falling.

The Leonids in 1833 produced hundreds of thousands per hour.

Meteor showers take their name from the constellation from where they appear to originate. For example, the Perseids trace a trail back to the constellation Perseus; although you can see them anywhere across the sky.

You can see meteors any time of the year, and you don't need any special equipment to enjoy an average meteor shower.

But here are some ways you can improve your experience.

You'll want to find a location with as clear a view to the horizon in as many directions as possible. An open field is great.

Lie on your back, or on a reclining chair, look up to the sky

... and be patient.

You probably won't see a meteor right away, but after a few minutes, you should see your first one.

The longer you look, the more you'll see, and the better chance you'll have of seeing a bolide or fireball; a very bright meteor that streaks across the sky, leaving a trail that can last for a long time.

You can see meteors any time that it's dark, but the most impressive ones happen in the early morning, when your location on Earth is ploughing directly into the space dust.

You also want the darkest skies you can get, far away from city light pollution, and many hours after the Sun has gone down.

Enjoy the early evening meteors, but then set your alarm and get up around 4 in the morning to see the real sky show.

If I could only see one meteor shower every year, it would have to be the Perseids.

These come when the Earth passes through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, and peak around August 12th every year.

It's not always the most active shower, but it's warm outside in the Northern hemisphere, and this is a fun activity to do with your friends and family.

Now get outside, and enjoy a meteor shower.

[callunas]

Went to mono lake this summer and stayed up for the dark skies to see meteors and the milky way in person for the first time in my life. Amazing.

[frasercain]

The Comet is called Swift-Tuttle. If you do a search for that, you should find everything you need.

[frasercain]

If you're in really dark skies, you'll see something similar to those timelapse photographs with lots of stars and an amazing Milky Way. But the camera gathers light for 30 seconds, which our eyes can't see.

[frasercain]

You can still see it tonight. It won't be at the total peak, but it'll still be great.

[MrJawaking]

I find it humorous myself. I think it's a nice little addition to the video's and adds to the experience with the often quirky comments put in there.

[frasercain]

Sure, if you sit outside and watch the sky in a dark area, you can see a meteor within an hour or so. But during the meteor shower, you see them about once every few minutes.

[frasercain]

You can see about one an hour any night, if you're patient. Any place in the world.

[frasercain]

Spacecraft have no way to avoid meteoroids, they just get hit. When something has been out in space for a while, they've got hundreds of tiny little dings from micrometeoroids. So far, they've been lucky. Nobody's been killed by an impact.

[ashelmaerizbazancaro]

I found this helpful for tomorrows report.

[EricCharland]

I'd like to know more about the comet who left the dust giving us the Perseid.
Is it still going ? When did it pass trough for the 1st time (Only time ?) ?
How big was it and who spotted it ?

Thanks !

[callunas]

I wish I could see them but I live near Chicago, alas.

[frasercain]

Sure, I can totally do a video about the Milky Way.

[Cacho]

This august 12 there will be a meteor shower ?

[aurorahh]

Can you talk about the galaxy we see in the night sky?

[fayehealy]

I have been sitting on my window sill for like twenty mins and I haven't seen anything and when he said about the 12th of August i was excited cuz it is the 12th of August

[lukedeacon]

Please ditch the supplementary text material that occasionally pops up on the right of the screen. It's a really irritating distraction.

[cruxader]

I wonder how satellites and the space station evade meteors? Do meteor showers end up falling to earth

[frasercain]

Chicago's pretty bad. Do a Google search for "dark sky map". You'll find a great map that shows you the amount of light pollution. See if you can get to a spot that's green.

[ChristianDkG]

Hey Fraser Cain. you know about all this cool things...can you help me..i think i found a meteorite.. greets from denmark Is This A Meteorite ?

[RandomTaco]

Of course I can't see the August 12 meteor shower because the first day of school is the next DANG IT.!.!.!.!!!.!.!