Welcome to the Astro minute, where we’re exploring the universe sixty seconds at a time. I’m Lauren Smyth and today we’re fired up about meteor showers.


Cosmic fireworks known as meteor showers begin with ice. Comets, icy objects full of dust and rocks, orbit the sun, and as they approach the sun, they melt and shed leaving behind a debris trail. When the earth crosses a comet’s debris trail, bits of rock and dust plummet into the earth’s atmosphere and burn up, producing quick fiery streaks across the sky.


Earth intercepts the messy path of Halley’s Comet every October. The resulting meteor shower is called The Orionids, because its meteors appear to come from the direction of the constellation Orion. The Orionids can be seen for weeks, but the  peak in 2023 happens after midnight on October 22. So set your clock, grab a blanket, and enjoy the cosmic show!


That’s your astro minute!