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Meteors

Meteors, also known as shooting stars, are pieces of dust and debris from space that burn up in Earth's atmosphere, where they can create bright streaks across the night sky. When Earth passes through the dusty trail of a comet or asteroid's orbit, the many streaks of light in the sky are known as a meteor shower. Particularly large chunks of material can create an extra-bright fireball streak, but most meteors are still small enough to entirely burn up in Earth's atmosphere. If a meteor makes it to Earth it's known as a meteorite. Before they hit atmosphere the objects are called meteoroids. 

Related Topics: Asteroids, Aurora Borealis, Comets 

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December is usually marked by a series of meteor showers. Geminid meteors (like the one seen in this picture of Florida) light up the skies at the beginning of the month, while the Ursids — which peak tonight (Dec. 21-22) — put on a show just before Christmas.

The Ursid meteor shower of 2020 is peaking now! Here's what to expect.

By Joe Rao published

There is one more meteor shower to consider before we close the book on 2020: the December Ursid meteor shower, which usually occurs during the overnight hours of Dec. 21-22.

A Geminid fireball blazes through the sky above a campfire at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland during the Geminid meteor shower. Astrophotographer Jeff Berkes snapped this photo on Dec. 14, 2018, at 2:30 a.m. local time.

The Geminid meteor shower of 2020 peaks tonight! Here's how to watch it live online

By Tariq Malik published

The Geminid meteor shower of 2020 peaks overnight tonight on Dec. 13 and 14 and you can watch it live online. Here's how.

A long-exposure photograph shows Perseid meteors in August 2009.

The Geminid meteor shower, the best of 2020, peaks this weekend. Here's what to expect.

By Joe Rao published

The Geminid meteor shower, which will likely be the very best meteor display of the year, is just around the corner, predicted to peak late on Sunday night (Dec. 13).

Self-Portrait with 2014 Geminid Meteor in Hungary

Geminid meteor shower 2020: When, where & how to see it

By Elizabeth Howell, Hanneke Weitering published

The Geminid meteor shower peaks the night of Dec. 13-14. This guide tells you the best times and places to see these shooting stars (no equipment necessary).

On Nov. 18, 2020, a bright green meteor streaked across the night sky near CSIRO’s research vessel Investigator, which is currently stationed in the Tasman Sea, off the southern coast of Tasmania, Australia.

Watch a bright fireball explode over the Tasman Sea (video)

By Samantha Mathewson published

A bright green meteor streaked across the southern coast of Tasmania, Australia, and researchers caught the fireball on camera as it broke up over the ocean.

Astrophotographer Jeff Berkes captured this shot of Leonid meteors over a house in New Jersey in 2012. The 2015 Leonids will peak overnight Nov. 17-18.

The Leonid meteor shower of 2020 peaks tonight! Here's what to expect.

By Joe Rao published

One of the most famous annual meteor showers is reaching its peak — the Leonids. These ultrafast meteors are due to crest overnight tonight and into early Tuesday morning (Nov. 16-17).

Leonid Meteor Storm 2001

The most amazing Leonid meteor shower photos

By Space.com Staff published

See some of the greatest hits from Leonid meteor showers over the years.

Taurid Meteor Over Slovenia

Taurid meteor shower 2020: When, where & how to see it

By Elizabeth Howell published

While the Taurid meteor shower doesn't have a lot of shooting stars to offer, the few that will streak across the sky may be bright and spectacular.

A Taurid fireball descends in glowing aurora over Lake Simcoe in southern Ontario, Canada, on Nov. 9, 2015.

The Taurid meteor shower of 2020 peaks soon. Here's what to expect.

By Joe Rao published

If skies are clear during this upcoming week, be sure to take a few moments to gaze upward. You just might be lucky and catch a glimpse of a spectacularly bright meteor — a Taurid meteor.

Optical micrograph of the complete Strawberry Lake meteorite (Hamburg ME 6108) before cutting.

'Fireball' meteorite that crashed in Michigan holds extraterrestrial organic compounds

By Mindy Weisberger published

A fireball meteor lit up midwestern skies on Jan. 16, 2018, then landed on a frozen Michigan lake. Analysis of the space rock revealed a rich array of extraterrestrial organic compounds.

An Orionid meteor seen by NASA's All-Sky Fireball Network in 2015.

The Orionid meteor shower peaks tonight! Here's how to see it.

By Doris Elin Urrutia published

The Orionid meteor shower peaks tonight into tomorrow morning (Oct. 20-21), and the moon will be dim enough that skygazers might be able to see one or several of these shooting stars.

Orionid meteors streak through the starry sky over Big Bend National Park in Texas, in this composite of four shots taken by astrophotographer Sergio Garcia Rill in October 2017.

The Orionid meteor shower peaks this week! Here's what to expect.

By Joe Rao published

It's an excellent year to view the Orionids, which peak before dawn on Wednesday (Oct. 21).

A color-coded gravity image of the Ora Banda Impact Crater site. The crater (deep blue) is in the middle of the image.

Gold miners discover 100 million-year-old meteorite crater Down Under

By Laura Geggel published

About 100 million years ago, a gigantic meteorite collided with Australia, creating a 3-mile-wide impact crater.

A cross section of a small Aguas Zarcas fragment shows colorful clays that might include complex organic compounds.

Rainbow meteorite discovered in Costa Rica may hold building blocks of life

By Rafi Letzter published

A small, soft smacked into Costa Rica on April 23, 2019. And it carried dust older than our sun, as well as clues regarding how life formed on Earth.

An image of a piece of the Antarctic meteorite Asuka 12236 as seen through a microscope; the sample is about 0.3 inches (1 centimeter) across.

Astonishingly old Antarctic space rock could explain mystery of life's weird asymmetry

By Meghan Bartels published

Life is asymmetrical, and a time capsule of the earliest days of the solar system may explain why.

A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky above a group of campers at the Negev Desert near the city of Mitzpe Ramon, Israel, on Aug. 11, 2020.

Perseid meteor shower 2020 brings celestial fireworks to the night sky (photos)

By Hanneke Weitering published

The Perseid meteor shower, one of the most famous annual "shooting star" displays, reached its peak activity this week, putting on a spectacular show for skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere.

Catch the Perseid meteor shower in a Slooh webcast on Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT).

You can see the 2020 Perseid meteor shower in a free Slooh webcast tonight

By Hanneke Weitering published

The annual Perseid meteor shower has just peaked, but it's not too late to spot one of the famed "shooting stars" in the night sky — or in a live webcast.

In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower Friday, Aug. 12, 2016 in Spruce Knob, West Virginia.

Perseid meteor shower 2020 weather forecast: Here's what to expect in the US for tonight's peak!

By Joe Rao published

The 2020 Perseid meteor shower peaks overnight tonight (Aug. 11 and 12). Here's the U.S. weather forecast.

A meteor can be seen streaking across the sky above Washington, D.C. in this ten-second exposure taken of the annual Perseids meteor shower on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015.

The Perseid meteor shower of 2020 peaks tonight! Here's how to watch live.

By Chelsea Gohd published

The Perseids are back! This week, you can catch the annual meteor shower, a favorite of many skywatchers, as it peaks thanks to four livestreams.

A Perseid meteor spotted by the NASA All-Sky Fireball Network in August 2020.

NASA cameras catch early fireballs from Perseid meteor shower of 2020 (video)

By Mike Wall published

NASA's All-Sky Fireball Network captured Perseid meteors streaking overhead on Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 8 and Aug. 9).