meteors

(Newser) - The annual Orionid meteor shower will peak just before dawn on Friday and Saturday this week —although the sight won't be as amazing in years past, astronomers say. The meteor shower—caused by Earth passing through a cloud of dust left behind by Halley's comet—will be...

(Newser) - You can thank meteorites for most of the gold in Earth's crust, reports the BBC . In fact, 22 billion billion tons of asteroid material that showered our planet 3.9 billion years ago were responsible for the gold, platinum, and other precious metals there (and, by extrapolation, for Glenn...

(Newser) - Comet debris will light up the sky tomorrow night and Monday morning with shooting stars as Earth passes through the Perseid meteor shower. For the best view, pick a dark spot away from city lights and look east, says the Discovery Channel. "It's going to be a great show,...