What Causes A Meteor Shower
By: EjazUlHaqBhat
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A meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through the debris trail left by a comet or asteroid
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As comets orbit the sun, they heat up and vaporize, leaving behind a trail of dust and rocky debris
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When Earth passes through this trail, the debris collides with Earth's atmosphere
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The debris burns up in the atmosphere, creating streaks of light in the sky. These streaks are called meteors
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Meteor showers are named after the constellation where the meteors appear to come from
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For example, the Perseids meteor shower is named after the constellation Perseus, and the meteors are pieces of the comet Swift-Tuttle
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Other meteor showers include the Leonids, the Orionids, and the Geminids
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Of all meteor showers, the oldest known is the Lyrid meteor shower. Observational records for it date back to 687 BC
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