Photograph by Steve Gifford, MyShot
Bright Nights
The most brilliant meteor shower in recorded history happened on November 12-13, 1833, when tens of thousands of meteors lit up the sky in just four hours. In contrast, most showers produce fewer than 100 meteors an hour. The 1833 display was one of the Leonid showers that occur every November.
irregularly shaped planetary body, ranging from 6 meters (20 feet) to 933 kilometers (580 miles) in diameter, orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter.
person who studies space and the universe beyond Earth's atmosphere.
unusually large, bright meteor.
to identify or arrange by specific type or characteristic.
crash.
celestial object made up of ice, gas, and dust that orbits the sun and leaves a tail of debris.
comet that orbits the sun every 33 years.
arrangement of the parts of a work or structure in relation to each other and to the whole.
group of stars that form a recognizable shape.
remains of something broken or destroyed; waste, or garbage.
microscopic particles of rocks or minerals drifting in space. Also called cosmic dust or space dust.
meteor that enters Earth's atmosphere and usually leaves again.
violent outburst; rejection, usually of gases or fuel
very bright meteor.
piece or part.
force produced by rubbing one thing against another.
state of matter with no fixed shape that will fill any container uniformly. Gas molecules are in constant, random motion.
extreme or strong.
annual event, usually in November, when debris from the tail of Comet Tempel-Tuttle fall as meteors. Also called the Leonids.
having to do with the area around a specific place.
fourth planet from the sun, between Earth and Jupiter.
very large or heavy.
region in Earth's atmosphere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere, about 50-80 kilometers (31-50 miles) above the Earth's surface.
rocky debris from space that enters Earth's atmosphere. Also called a shooting star or falling star.
large amount of rocky debris falling into Earth's atmosphere, usually when Earth passes through the orbit of a comet.
instrument used to view very small objects by making them appear larger.
event in the physical environment that is destructive to human activity.
to watch.
someone who watches, or observes.
to happen or take place.
path of one object around a more massive object.
space beyond Earth's atmosphere.
small piece of material.
very small, rounded rock.
regular or able to be forecasted.
to take action to prevent injury or attack.
nearness.
spot in the sky from which a meteor shower seems to originate.
sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that receives images and sends signals to the brain about what is seen.
natural substance composed of solid mineral matter.
to release or cast off.
moving, measurable change in pressure and density of a material.
loud noise caused by sound waves as an object travels at supersonic speed.
exact or precise.
star at the center of our solar system.
stream of gas or dust debris behind a comet.
able to be seen.
capable of being hurt.
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