But on special dates scattered throughout the year, skywatchers can catch a multitude of flares as meteor showers burst in the darkness.
The next event is the Leonids, which lasts until Dec. 2 but reaches its peak tonight, on Friday, Nov. 17, into the morning of Saturday, Nov. 18.
Meteor showers occur when our planet runs into the debris fields left behind by icy comets or rocky asteroids going around the sun.
The regularity of orbital mechanics means that any given meteor shower happens at roughly the same time each year, with the changing phases of the bright moon being the main variable affecting their visibility.
This year’s show should be a more placid 15 meteors per hour or so, as the Earth hits debris fields released from its parent body, comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.
Persons:
Tuttle