Meteor Showers: Origins, Forecasting, and Observing Guide

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Meteor Basics: Terms and Phenomena
• Origins of Meteor Showers and Meteoroid Streams
• Stream Dynamics, Radiant Geometry, and Speed
• Activity Profiles, ZHR, and How Counts Are Standardized
• How to Observe Meteor Showers Effectively
• Instruments: Visual, Video, All-Sky, and Radio
• Forecasting Peaks, Outbursts, and Storms
• Colors, Spectra, Persistent Trains, and Sounds
• Fireballs, Bolides, and Meteorites
• Atmospheric and Technological Effects
• Meteor Showers on the Moon and Mars
• History, Culture, and Famous Storms
• Citizen Science and Data Reporting
• Advanced: Stream Evolution and Modeling
• Planning Your Year: The Best Annual Showers
• FAQ: Observing and Counting Meteors
• FAQ: Physics, Safety, and Misconceptions
• Conclusion and Next Steps

Introduction

Meteor showers are among the most accessible and awe-inspiring astronomical events. With nothing more than your eyes and a dark sky, you can witness dust grains from ancient comets and sometimes asteroids burn in Earth’s upper atmosphere as streaks of light. Yet behind that simple beauty is a rich science: the orbital dynamics of meteoroid streams, the chemistry of luminous trails, the statistical methods used to standardize visual counts, and the complex forecasting that predicts not only annual peaks but also occasional outbursts and storms.

This guide explains how meteor showers form, how they evolve, how scientists forecast their activity, and how you can observe and contribute useful data. We’ll decode core concepts like the radiant, geocentric velocity, and Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR), show you how to plan an observing session, and explore what showers can teach us about comets, asteroids, and Earth’s atmosphere. If you want to skip ahead to methods for standardizing counts, see Activity Profiles, ZHR, and How Counts Are Standardized. For gear and techniques beyond naked-eye observing, jump to Instruments: Visual, Video, All-Sky, and Radio.

Meteor Basics: Terms and Phenomena

Before diving deeper, let’s establish a few key terms you will encounter throughout this article and in observing guides.

• Meteoroid: A small particle in space, typically ranging from micron-sized dust up to boulder-sized fragments. In the context of showers, meteoroids usually measure millimeters to centimeters.
• Meteor: The luminous phenomenon produced when a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and ionizes the air along its path. This is the streak of light you see.
• Fireball: An exceptionally bright meteor, typically brighter than magnitude −4 (comparable to Venus).
• Bolide: A very bright fireball that often ends in a fragmentation event or explosion, sometimes producing audible sonic phenomena.
• Meteorite: Any fragment that survives its passage through the atmosphere and reaches the ground. Meteorites are rare outcomes for shower meteoroids, which are generally too fragile and fast to survive.
• Meteoroid stream: A coherent population of meteoroids sharing similar orbits, produced by a parent body—usually a comet—over many perihelion passages.
• Radiant: The point in the sky from which meteors from a specific shower appear to originate when traced backward. This is a perspective effect due to the nearly parallel trajectories of the meteoroids.

When Earth crosses a meteoroid stream, the encounter may produce a diffuse background of shower meteors lasting weeks to months, with a peak lasting hours to days. We also see sporadic meteors—those not associated with any particular stream—that contribute a background rate. Untangling shower meteors from sporadics is part of the observer’s task, discussed in How to Observe Meteor Showers Effectively.

Origins of Meteor Showers and Meteoroid Streams

Most meteor showers originate from comets. As a comet approaches the Sun, solar heating drives the sublimation of ices, releasing embedded dust grains. Over repeated returns to the inner solar system, the comet lays down trails of dust along its orbit. Gravitational effects, solar radiation forces, and the initial spread in particle velocities widen those trails into a stream.

Several well-known showers have well-identified parent bodies:

• Perseids: Parent body 109P/Swift–Tuttle.
• Leonids: Parent body 55P/Tempel–Tuttle.
• Orionids and Eta Aquariids: Both associated with Halley’s Comet (1P/Halley), encountered at different times of the year depending on Earth’s position.
• Geminids: Associated with 3200 Phaethon, an unusual object with asteroid-like characteristics that produces a strong annual shower.
• Quadrantids: Linked to the near-Earth object 2003 EH1 (also designated (196256) 2003 EH1), likely related to a historical comet.

Although comets are the dominant parent bodies for streams, there are cases where an asteroidal parent is implicated. The Geminids are the prime example: 3200 Phaethon follows a very elliptical orbit and likely sheds material during close solar passages, creating a dense stream that Earth crosses each December. Another example is the Quadrantids, which have a brief, strong peak consistent with a relatively young, compact core from a disrupted parent.

Over centuries, streams evolve. Initial dust trails—fresh, narrow strands—can produce short-lived outbursts when Earth intersects them directly, as discussed in Forecasting Peaks, Outbursts, and Storms. The broader, older components produce the familiar annual activity. Stream evolution is governed by several processes explored in Advanced: Stream Evolution and Modeling.

Stream Dynamics, Radiant Geometry, and Speed

To interpret what you see during a shower, focus on three intertwined ideas: radiant geometry, relative speed, and orbital dynamics.

Radiant and perspective

Shower meteors appear to diverge from a radiant due to perspective: meteoroids in a stream have nearly parallel trajectories relative to Earth. When you trace meteor paths backward on the sky, they meet near a point. The radiant’s position shifts gradually each night (radiant drift) as Earth moves along its orbit. Observing techniques exploit this: you can improve shower identification by watching an area 30–60 degrees away from the radiant to see longer trains. For linking observing strategy to geometry, see How to Observe Meteor Showers Effectively.

Geocentric velocity

The appearance of a meteor is strongly influenced by its geocentric velocity—its speed relative to Earth as it enters the atmosphere. Showers like the Leonids and Orionids are fast, producing swift, sharp streaks with higher starting altitudes; slower showers like the Taurids yield longer, often measured and colorful trails with a more leisurely apparent motion. Typical geocentric velocities span a wide range, from roughly a few tens of kilometers per second upward, depending on the parent orbit and Earth’s encounter geometry.

Entry angle and path length

The direction a meteoroid enters relative to the local horizon affects how long it is visible. A shallow entry extends the luminous path. A steep entry compresses it, often making fireballs dramatic but brief. The luminous beginning height typically lies around the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere, with terminal heights varying by mass, composition, and speed.

Why the apparent rate changes during the night

Two effects matter overnight: the radiant altitude and Earth’s rotation into the stream. As the radiant rises, a larger portion of the atmosphere is favorably oriented to produce visible streaks. After local midnight, the observer’s location rotates onto Earth’s leading hemisphere relative to the stream, modestly increasing the encounter rate and speed. This is why premier shower viewing is often recommended in the hours before dawn.

Activity Profiles, ZHR, and How Counts Are Standardized

Visual counts of meteors vary widely with observing conditions. To compare observations from different sites and nights, meteor organizations use standardization metrics, most notably the Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR). ZHR estimates the rate an ideal observer would see under a limiting magnitude of about 6.5, with the radiant at the zenith and a wide, unobstructed field of view.

From raw counts to ZHR

Converting your observed count to a standardized rate adjusts for:

• Limiting magnitude: Fainter skies reveal more meteors. The population index (r) describes the relative abundance of fainter meteors.
• Radiant altitude: When the radiant is low, fewer meteors have visible paths above your horizon.
• Field obstruction: Trees, buildings, and clouds reduce the fraction of sky you are monitoring.
• Effective observing time: Breaks and interruptions must be excluded.

The standardized rate is expressed conceptually as: ZHR equals your observed rate divided by the product of the radiant altitude factor, the sky transparency factor, and the correction for limiting magnitude using the population index. While the exact formula is standardized by meteor organizations, the principle is straightforward: correct your raw count to what would have been seen under the ideal reference conditions.

Population index (r) and mass index

The population index r characterizes how the number of meteors changes with brightness. A higher r means a steeper distribution—there are many more faint meteors relative to bright ones. Typical shower values range from around 2 to 3. The related mass index helps infer the size distribution of meteoroids in the stream. These indices are important for interpreting how environmental factors (like moonlight) will suppress observed counts. For practical observing adjustments, see How to Observe Meteor Showers Effectively.

Activity profiles and peak structure

Most showers exhibit a characteristic activity profile—a rise to maximum and then a decline—often asymmetric. Some, like the Quadrantids, show a sharp, short-lived peak, whereas others, like the Taurids, have a broad, low peak stretched over weeks, sometimes with enhanced rates of fireballs. The shape of the profile reflects the density and cross-section of the meteoroid stream where Earth intersects it. This can vary from year to year as Earth samples slightly different parts of the stream.

How to Observe Meteor Showers Effectively

Seeing more meteors is mainly about maximizing dark sky quality, comfort, and consistent logging. Here’s a field-tested approach suitable for both casual skywatchers and serious contributors to meteor databases.

Planning and site selection

• Darkness first: Choose the darkest site you can. Sky brightness dramatically affects faint meteor detectability. Avoid nearby lights and let your eyes dark-adapt for at least 20–30 minutes.
• Moon awareness: Moonlight significantly reduces observed rates. If the Moon is up, try to position yourself so the Moon is behind a building or natural feature, and aim your gaze away from it.
• Weather: Transparency and cloud cover matter. Thin haze can go unnoticed yet remove many faint meteors from view. See also how transparency feeds into standardized rates.

What to bring

• A reclining chair or sleeping pad so you can comfortably watch a large portion of the sky.
• Warm clothing, blankets, and hot drinks; even summer nights can become cold when you are inactive for hours.
• Red-light flashlight and a notebook or a logging app designed for meteor observing.
• A dim timer to segment your counts into consistent intervals (e.g., 10-minute bins).

Where to look

You do not need to stare directly at the radiant. In fact, looking 30–60 degrees away from it—toward the darkest part of your sky, about halfway up—often yields longer streaks and better detection of fainter meteors. If you are unsure where the radiant is, many star charts label it; however, the exact radiant position drifts nightly. For a refresher on geometry, see Stream Dynamics, Radiant Geometry, and Speed.

How to log data

1. Note your location, UTC time, sky conditions, and estimated naked-eye limiting magnitude (NELM), often gauged by the faintest stars you can see in a known asterism.
2. Record every meteor: time, estimated magnitude, path length and direction, and if possible whether it belonged to the shower or was sporadic. You can judge association by whether the path traces back to the radiant (allowing for some scatter).
3. Keep track of effective observing time, subtracting breaks or moments when your eyes were not on the sky.
4. Segment your observing into equal intervals (e.g., 10 or 15 minutes) to capture variations as the radiant rises.

Even casual logs are valuable when aggregated by meteor organizations. If you plan to submit observations, review the reporting guidelines in Citizen Science and Data Reporting.

Comfort and safety

• Choose a safe location with permission to be there; bring a friend if possible.
• Use bug spray and proper clothing; stay hydrated.
• Avoid using bright screens. If you must use a phone, dim it and use a red filter.

Instruments: Visual, Video, All-Sky, and Radio

While meteor showers require no equipment, instruments expand what you can measure and how often. Many enthusiasts run low-cost systems that gather valuable data nightly.

Video and all-sky cameras

Digital video systems with wide-angle lenses can detect meteors too faint for the eye and operate automatically. Networks triangulate meteor paths, deriving atmospheric trajectories and sometimes pre-atmospheric orbits. All-sky cameras (with fields of view approaching 180 degrees) maximize capture rates and are particularly effective for bright fireballs.

• Benefits: Continuous operation, objective data, precise timing, and automated detection.
• Considerations: Weatherproofing, stable power and storage, and careful tuning of detection thresholds to balance false positives and missed events.

Photographic stills

Long-exposure still photography is a classic way to capture a shower, though it emphasizes aesthetics over statistics. Use a tripod, a fast wide lens, high ISO appropriate for your camera, and continuous exposures. To avoid dew, use lens heaters. This is complementary to naked-eye observing and can coexist with logging, but do not let camera operation distract from your standardized counting if your goal is data quality.

Radio meteor detection

Ionized meteor trails reflect radio waves at certain frequencies. Enthusiasts use forward-scatter setups: they listen for distant transmitters (like VHF beacons) and detect brief bursts—pings—when a meteor trail momentarily reflects the signal. Radio is immune to clouds and daylight, enabling continuous monitoring.

• Advantages: Works 24/7, independent of weather and light pollution.
• Limitations: Ambiguity in rate interpretation without careful calibration; strong dependence on geometry and transmitter stability.

Professional meteor radars measure detailed velocity and deceleration profiles, providing insight into particle masses, structures, and ablation physics. Amateur radio data still contribute to determining shower activity trends and diurnal variations.

Forecasting Peaks, Outbursts, and Storms

Annual meteor shower calendars list expected peak dates and times, but the details of a given year’s activity depend on exactly how Earth threads through the stream. Forecasting combines historical activity profiles, updated orbital elements of parent bodies, and dynamical models of dust trails.

Annual peaks vs. trail encounters

The annual peak reflects the background stream Earth regularly samples. Superimposed on this are encounters with denser dust trails released during specific returns of the parent body. When Earth crosses a recent, compact trail, a temporary outburst can occur—sometimes lasting minutes to hours. Famous examples include multiple Leonid outbursts in late 20th and early 21st centuries, when modeling of dust trails improved forecasts.

Tools of the trade

• Historical data: Decades of visual, video, and radar observations help characterize typical activity, radiant drift, and population indices.
• N-body dynamics: Models track dust particles released at different velocities and epochs, perturbed by planetary encounters and non-gravitational forces, to predict where dense filaments will be.
• Parent orbit monitoring: Observations of the parent comet or asteroid refine its orbit and help constrain when significant dust shedding occurred.

Outbursts and surprises

Not all forecasts are perfect; uncertainties accumulate from incomplete knowledge of dust ejection histories and small dynamical influences. Some showers are renowned for variable behavior. The Taurids, for example, can produce enhanced fireball rates in some years, potentially related to resonant structures in the stream. The Tau Herculids provided a recent case where expectations of enhanced activity from a disintegrating parent led to widespread observing campaigns; the result was a modest outburst with many reports of meteors, highlighting both the promise and the challenge of predictions.

For planning, calendars from established meteor organizations provide peak windows and guidance on moonlight and timing. See the practical overview in Planning Your Year: The Best Annual Showers.

Colors, Spectra, Persistent Trains, and Sounds

Meteor colors are not merely aesthetic—they encode information about ablation and composition. Many meteors show green, yellow, or orange hues. The green often stems from contributions of atomic oxygen emission in the upper atmosphere and spectral lines from metals such as magnesium. Sodium and iron also produce prominent lines in meteor spectra. Video spectrographs equipped with diffraction gratings can split the meteor light and reveal these features, opening a window into meteoroid chemistry.

Persistent trains

Some fast meteors, especially from showers like the Leonids and Orionids, leave persistent glowing trains that drift and twist for many seconds or even minutes. These are not glowing meteoroids but chemically excited, ionized air and metallic atoms that continue to emit light. Watching their evolution with binoculars can be a highlight of an observing session.

Sounds: electrophonic reports

Occasionally, observers report hearing faint hisses or crackles coincident with bright meteors. These are rare and remain a subject of study; proposed mechanisms involve very low-frequency electromagnetic energy from the meteor interacting locally with objects near the observer that transduce it into audible sound. Such reports are anecdotal but intriguing, and they underscore how meteor phenomena touch multiple parts of our environment.

Fireballs, Bolides, and Meteorites

Showers generate fireballs, but most shower meteoroids are too fragile and fast to survive to the ground. The highest likelihood of meteorite falls comes from slower, sturdier meteoroids that enter at lower geocentric velocities, often from sporadic sources rather than major showers. That said, some showers—like the Taurids—are known for producing a higher fraction of bright fireballs, consistent with larger particles in portions of the stream.

What determines survivability?

• Speed: Higher entry speed increases heating and ablation.
• Mass and strength: More massive, cohesive meteoroids can survive deeper into the atmosphere.
• Entry angle: Shallow angles increase atmospheric path length, typically favoring complete ablation; steeper entries allow deeper penetration but also higher dynamic pressures.

Even when meteorites do not form, very bright bolides can produce infrasound and, sometimes, sonic booms audible to ground observers after a delay, depending on geometry and distance.

Atmospheric and Technological Effects

Meteors are more than momentary streaks; each one is a micro-experiment in aerothermodynamics and atmospheric chemistry.

Ionization and radio propagation

The ionized columns left by meteors briefly reflect radio waves. This effect is exploited by radio meteor observers, but it also contributes to the broader variability in the ionosphere. On scales of entire showers, enhanced meteor activity can increase the incidence of transient ionized trails in the upper atmosphere, enabling long-distance VHF propagation that would otherwise be impossible.

Spacecraft and satellites

During peak shower activity, risk assessments for spacecraft operations consider micrometeoroid flux. Spacecraft are designed with micrometeoroid and orbital debris protection in mind, and operations may be adjusted if models indicate elevated risk. For most satellites, the incremental risk from a typical annual shower is small, but awareness is part of prudent mission planning.

Meteor Showers on the Moon and Mars

Meteor activity is not unique to Earth. The Moon, lacking an atmosphere, experiences meteoroid impacts directly on its surface. Lunar monitoring programs have recorded optical flashes from impacts, some coinciding with known meteor showers. These flashes offer a way to estimate impact rates and meteoroid sizes hitting the Moon.

Mars, with a thin atmosphere, hosts meteor phenomena as well. Spacecraft have documented meteors in the Martian sky and measured changes in the Martian ionosphere during meteoroid encounters. A notable case involved a close pass of a comet near Mars that led to measurable effects in the Martian atmosphere, including enhanced ionization. Such observations help scientists understand how meteoroid input influences planetary atmospheres and how different atmospheric densities affect meteor ablation.

History, Culture, and Famous Storms

Meteor showers have a deep cultural and scientific history. A dramatic event in the 19th century—an intense Leonid display over North America—sparked widespread interest and contributed to recognizing meteor showers as recurring, orbit-linked phenomena. Later, 20th-century observing campaigns consolidated scientific methods for counting and standardizing visual data.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, improved modeling of dust trails led to successful forecasts of Leonid outbursts, drawing global attention. The Perseids and Geminids, meanwhile, have become staples of public skywatching, thanks to their reliable annual activity and favorable viewing conditions in many regions of the world.

Historical records, careful naked-eye counts, and modern video networks together form an unbroken chain of evidence that allows today’s forecasts and tomorrow’s discoveries.

Citizen Science and Data Reporting

Meteor astronomy thrives on public participation. Visual observers, photographers, and operators of small video stations contribute indispensable data that help refine shower profiles, identify minor streams, and validate forecasts.

What data are most useful?

• Visual logs: Timed counts, limiting magnitude estimates, and meteor magnitudes. Consistency and accurate notes are key.
• Video detections: Time-stamped events with sky coordinates enable trajectory and orbit reconstruction, especially when multiple stations see the same meteor.
• Radio logs: Counts of forward-scatter pings over time, annotated with transmitter details and geometry.

How to submit

Established meteor organizations publish clear instructions on formatting and submitting observations. Many provide online portals for entering data, as well as tools for converting raw logs into standardized rates. Joining a regional or global network maximizes the scientific value of your observations and connects you with a community that can help troubleshoot setups and analysis methods.

Advanced: Stream Evolution and Modeling

Meteoroid streams are not static. Their evolution involves a mix of gravitational and non-gravitational influences that shape today’s observed activity.

Key processes

• Initial ejection: Dust grains leave the parent body with a distribution of speeds and directions, imprinting a spread in orbital elements from the start.
• Planetary perturbations: Encounters with planets—most notably Jupiter—alter particle orbits over time, concentrating or dispersing parts of the stream.
• Resonances: Mean-motion resonances can trap particles, forming dense filaments that enhance activity when Earth meets them.
• Radiation forces: Poynting–Robertson drag causes small particles to spiral slowly inward toward the Sun, while solar radiation pressure can alter orbits depending on particle size.
• Collisional evolution: Over long timescales, collisions grind down particles, changing size distributions and optical properties.

From model to forecast

State-of-the-art forecasts integrate numerical models of dust trails emitted at specific parent perihelion passages, applying gravitational perturbations from planets and tracking how Earth intersects each trail. These models predict not only the timing of potential outbursts but also the range of particle sizes expected, which influences the observable magnitude distribution. Model results are cross-checked against radar and optical observations to refine parameters.

Uncertainty and verification

Despite sophisticated modeling, uncertainties remain: small errors in parent-body ephemerides, unknown dust production histories, and sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Thus, forecasts usually present time windows and confidence assessments rather than absolute guarantees. Observers play a central role in verifying and refining these predictions—your data matter.

Planning Your Year: The Best Annual Showers

Several showers stand out for reliability, intensity, and favorable weather for many observers.

• Quadrantids (early January): A strong but brief peak, often concentrated within hours. Best viewed from northern latitudes.
• Perseids (mid-August): A favorite for northern-hemisphere observers due to warm nights and a typically strong, broad maximum.
• Geminids (mid-December): Among the strongest annual showers, known for plentiful meteors and bright fireballs; often a top choice when the Moon cooperates.
• Orionids (October) and Eta Aquariids (early May): Both linked to Halley’s Comet; the Orionids favor the northern hemisphere, while Eta Aquariids are particularly good for the southern hemisphere.
• Taurids (late October–November): Lower overall rates but a higher proportion of fireballs in some years, with a very extended activity period.

To maximize your chances, check an up-to-date meteor shower calendar for the current year, noting the predicted peak times, radiant altitude at your location, and the Moon’s phase. Combine that information with the observing strategies in How to Observe Meteor Showers Effectively and the standardization concepts in Activity Profiles, ZHR, and How Counts Are Standardized.

FAQ: Observing and Counting Meteors

How many meteors per hour will I see?

Published rates often quote the Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR), which assumes ideal conditions and the radiant at the zenith. Your actual observed rate will be lower and depends on sky darkness, radiant altitude, and whether the Moon is up. As a rule of thumb, in good dark-sky conditions with the radiant well placed, expect a fraction of the ZHR, adjusted for your limiting magnitude and sky coverage. For details on standardization, see Activity Profiles, ZHR, and How Counts Are Standardized.

Do I need a telescope or binoculars?

No—most meteors move too quickly and cover too large an area of sky for telescopes or binoculars. Your eyes are the best instrument. Optics are useful for examining persistent trains after a bright meteor or for complementary imaging, as noted in Instruments: Visual, Video, All-Sky, and Radio.

Where should I look relative to the radiant?

Look about 30–60 degrees away from the radiant, toward your darkest sky. Meteors traced back to the radiant are likely part of the shower. Those that do not trace back are probably sporadics or from different streams.

How do I estimate meteor brightness?

Use nearby stars and planets as references. Practice by comparing meteors to known magnitudes. Log magnitudes to the nearest half or whole magnitude. Over time, you’ll become more consistent, which improves the value of your data submissions to groups in Citizen Science and Data Reporting.

FAQ: Physics, Safety, and Misconceptions

Are meteors hot when they hit the ground?

Most shower meteors completely ablate high in the atmosphere and never reach the ground. Meteorites—when they occur—are typically from slower, sturdier meteoroids, and their surfaces cool rapidly during dark flight. They are not the red-hot stones depicted in fiction upon reaching the ground.

Can meteor showers damage satellites?

Micrometeoroids pose a small but real risk, and satellite operators assess flux models around major showers. For most missions, annual showers do not necessitate major operational changes, but awareness and occasional protective measures are prudent.

Do meteor showers cause power outages or storms?

No. Meteor showers are atmospheric and ionospheric phenomena and do not cause weather on the ground. They can enhance radio propagation briefly through ionized trails, as explained in Atmospheric and Technological Effects.

Is a fireball during a shower likely to drop meteorites?

Unlikely for most showers, which involve fast and fragile particles. Meteorite-dropping events are more commonly associated with sporadic meteoroids having lower entry velocities and greater structural integrity. See Fireballs, Bolides, and Meteorites for more.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Meteor showers elegantly connect small-scale dust physics with large-scale orbital dynamics, while offering one of the most approachable gateways into observational astronomy. Understanding the basics—the radiant, geocentric speed, and ZHR—transforms a casual watch into informed observing. Appreciating stream evolution and forecasting enriches the experience further, particularly when you see an outburst that models anticipated or one that surprises everyone.

Whether you seek a relaxing night under the Perseids or want to contribute standardized counts, video detections, or radio logs, there is a role for every observer. Review the observing strategies in How to Observe Meteor Showers Effectively, the standardization concepts in Activity Profiles, ZHR, and How Counts Are Standardized, and consider joining a community as outlined in Citizen Science and Data Reporting. Then, mark your calendar using the guidance in Planning Your Year: The Best Annual Showers, head to dark skies, and let the meteors tell their centuries-long story in real time.