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Home › Science › Astronomy › Meteors

Meteors

The main source of meteoroids is the dust and rock released as the prime layer of a comet nucleus melts. When Earth comes into contact with them, they burn up in the upper atmosphere. As they are burning, they are known as meteors. Any which reach Earth’s surface are known as meteorites. The large fiery tail following a meteor is called a fireball or bolide. Since meteorites move faster than the speed of sound, they may be accompanied by sonic booms.

When the number of meteors is large, it is called a meteor shower. This is caused when the nucleus of a comet cannot hold together. The dust and rock spread out along the comet’s orbit. If Earth intersects that orbit, a meteor shower can be seen.






Major Meteor Showers

Name Days Peak Day Peak
Per Hour
Speed
(Km/s)
Quantratids .04 January 3 130 42
Lyrids 1 April 22 15 48
Eta Aquarids 6 May 6 55 66 North Delta Aquarids 8 August 12 12 41 Persieds 3 August 8 90 60 Orionids 2 October 17 30 66 Leonids 2 November 18 45 72 Geminids 3 December 12 105 36 Ursids 1 December 22 40 34

Recent Major Meteor Storms

Name Year
Discovered
Hourly
Rate
Leonids 1799 30,000 Leonids 1832 20,000 Leonids 1832 25,000 Leonids 1866 10,000 Leonids 1867 1,000 Leonids 1868 1,000 Andromedids 1872 6,000 Andromedids 1885 75,000 Leonids 1900 1,000 Leonids 1901 2,000 Draconids 1933 54,000 Draconids 1946 10,000 Leonids 1966 150,000 Draconids 1985 1,000




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