Meteor shower

The North and South Taurids occur every year in September, October, and November. They may have originated from a comet that broke up about 10,000 years ago.

NASA estimates about 50 to 100 meteors can be seen per hour as the Earth passes through the dusty trail left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle.

Now through late August, the astronomical phenomenon will light up the night sky with shooting stars, peaking on Aug. 11, 12 and 13.

Several fragments of the meteor that fell in South Texas on Feb. 15 were recently recovered. Some of the meteorite hunters are members of the American Meteor Society, an organization that tracks these types of fireball events and publishes information so meteorite hunters have a better idea of where to search. Mike Hankey, operations manager of the American Meteor Society, spoke with TPR’s Jerry Clayton.

Radar and other data indicated that the meteoroid broke apart in the atmosphere, and some fragments reached the ground.

The Geminids meteor shower, one of the best and most reliable of the year, will peak on Tuesday night.

At the peak of the Perseids this week, up to 100 meteors an hour can be caught shooting across the sky at 37 miles per second, leaving long streaks in their wake.

The Earth is currently passing through debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, creating one of the best celestial shows of the year. The Perseids meteor shower…