Why do meteor showers occur?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Earth crosses comet debris trails
Stars shoot matter toward us — Wrong. Shooting stars aren't from stars. They're tiny particles (often comet debris) burning up in Earth's atmosphere at high speed.
Earth crosses comet debris trails ✓ — Correct! Comets leave debris trails along their orbits. When Earth's orbit intersects these trails, particles enter our atmosphere at ~70 km/s, heating and glowing—meteors! Showers occur annually (Perseids, Leonids, etc.) when Earth crosses the same comet paths. Multiple meteors appear from one 'radiant' point (perspective effect)!
Gravity pulls asteroids to Earth yearly — Wrong. Gravity doesn't suddenly pull asteroids to Earth annually. Meteor showers occur because Earth's orbit crosses comet debris trails at the same time each year.
More Astronomy & Space questions
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- Why is Earth's day getting slightly longer every century?
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- Why is fission likelier than fusion for first Moon bases?
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