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