Meteor Showers

A meteorite that punched a hole in a Georgia home owner's roof after blazing across the sky in a fiery streak is older than the Earth itself, according to a scientist who examined fragments of the space rock. People in several Southern states reported seeing the mysterious fireball in broad daylight on June 26 as it hurtled toward the ground faster than the speed of sound. University of Georgia planetary geologist Scott Harris said in a press release on Friday that he examined 23 grams (0.8 ounces) of meteorite fragments recovered from a piece the size of a cherry tomato that struck a man's roof like a bullet and left a dent in the floor of the home outside Atlanta. Examining the fragments under microscopes, Harris concluded the meteorite formed 4.56 billion years ago. That is roughly 20 million years older than the Earth. "It belongs to a group of asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that we now think we can tie to a breakup of a much larger asteroid about

One of the most cherished astronomical events, the Lyrid meteor shower, is returning to our night skies. However, for Indians, the prospects aren't excellent this year due to weather conditions

The Quadrantids Meteor Shower peak occurs every year and it will peak on January 4, 2025. Generally, meteor showers peak for two days, but Quadrantids peak for a few hours in January

The Perseid meteor shower will peak across the United States on August 11 and 12 this year. On peak display, skywatchers could see up to 100 meteors each hour

The Leonid meteor shower is brought about by the dust and debris abandoned by the comet Tempel-Tuttle. This yearly event will be seen in India, among other countries, from November 3 to December 2

Meteors are bright streaks of dazzling light that one often sees in the night sky and they are often termed as "shooting stars"

The parent is the comet or asteroid responsible for the debris through which the Earth passes each year