Leonids Meteor Shower – UPSC Prelims

Leonids Meteor Shower?
  • Leonids Meteor Shower was originally discovered in 1833.
  • It contains debris that originated from a small comet called 55P/Tempel-Tuttle in the constellation Leo, which takes 33 years to orbit the sun.
  • Every 33 years, a Leonid shower turns into a meteor storm, which is when hundreds to thousands of meteors can be seen every hour.
  • The Leonids are also called fireballs and earth grazer meteors. Fireballs, because of their bright colors and earthgazer because they streak close to the horizon.
  • Moreover, Leonids meteors showers are also some of the fastest that are seen on Earth traveling at speeds of 71 km per second.
What is a Meteor Shower?
When Earth encounters many meteoroids at once, we call it a meteor shower.
Can meteor showers inflict damage? The vast majority of meteors burn up long before they hit the ground, posing no threat to property or people. Occasionally, a small amount of material survives entry into Earth’s atmosphere and explodes above the planet’s surface.
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