Kids: Meteors and meteor showers
Bobby Sanchez St. Marys, KS Age: 10
Here’s how you can see a meteor – or “shooting star.”
Meteors aren’t really stars!
A meteor is a tiny bit of space debris – no bigger than a rice grain – left behind by a comet. This icy dust is moving along in space – until it encounters our own planet Earth. Then the bit of debris plunges into Earth’s atmosphere. It vaporizes as its falls – to become a glowing streak in a dark night sky – a meteor.
Meteors in showers come at the same time every year – whenever Earth’s orbit intersects the orbit of a comet. Then you might see lots of meteors – maybe about one a minute. Okay, that doesn’t sound like very many, but it’s really . . . a thrill.
What’s more, on any clear dark night – far from city lights – you can also see random meteors. They’re not associated with any particular comet – so you never know when to expect them! If you’re on a camping trip – or out in the country – just lie back, relax and look up for awhile – and you might see a meteor – or even two or three or . . .
