These dazzling displays of shooting stars, though relatively common occurrences, never fail to evoke a sense of wonder and awe.
For sky watchers and astronomy enthusiasts alike, meteor showers provide a thrilling opportunity to witness the universe in action.
Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the debris trail left behind by a comet or, occasionally, by an asteroid.
Comets, composed mostly of ice and dust, leave a trail of small particles in their wake as they orbit the Sun.
When the Earth intersects this trail, these particles—ranging from grains of sand to pebbles—plunge into our atmosphere at high speeds.
The friction with the air causes them to burn up, creating the streaks of light we see streaking across the sky.
Each meteor shower is named after the constellation from which the meteors appear to radiate, called the radiant point.