Why are flaming meteor showers predictable years in advance? The secret lies in comets. Every time a comet passes near the sun, it sheds trails of dust and debris. Earth crosses these invisible trails at the same time each year, causing spectacular meteor showers like the Perseids or Leonids. When our planet plows through the debris, tiny particles burn up in the atmosphere, streaking across the sky. Some of these showers have been recorded for centuries and astronomers can trace their origins t

A glowing green fireball lit up Moscow’s night sky, stunning onlookers and reviving memories of the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor. Scientists say it was likely a bright meteor burning in Earth’s atmosphere, creating a dazzling but harmless spectacle. [Green Fireball, Moscow] #TNWorldWatch | TIMES NOW

A bolide is an exceptionally bright meteor that violently disintegrates upon entering Earth's atmosphere, producing a sonic boom and sometimes leaving meteorite-like fragments. These objects, which are balls of ice, dust or rock from comets, asteroids or meteoroids, are much larger and more energetic than ordinary meteors and can be seen from miles to kilometers away. | Dark Matter