A meteor is a small rock from space that enters the Earth's atmosphere. The rock falls quickly and burns from friction with the air. This leaves a bright path which is also known as a shooting star. Usually, meteors appear almost at random. However, when the Earth passes through a comet's tail, lots of meteors are created. This is known as a meteor shower. A comet\'s tail is a trail of small rocks that form when the comet flies close to the sun. Energy from the Sun breaks down the comet, leaving behind small chunks of the comet. Comets' tails move slowly, so the Earth passes through them at roughly the same dates each year. This is why meteor showers are predictable, and occur the same days every year.

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