Meteors: Stellar Science, Fireballs, Interplanetary Debris

Meteors, affectionately known as shooting stars, can be seen on any night sporadically. Meteor showers happen when the earth's orbit passes through debris left over from the disintegration of comets. Earthlings can enjoy 60 or more meteors per hour in these shower events. Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak. In this entry of Voices of the Valley Floor-a and Fauna we will discuss these celestial beauties in more detail.