Although we have a romantic picture in our minds of falling stars, the truth about the phenomena that makes us see shooting stars is a bit different.

Meteor showers occur a few times a year, on certain reoccurring dates. This happens when Earth, in its course around the Sun enters a few specific areas filled with debris made of little meteorite particles. It looks a bit like the famous flight-scenes through big rocks from movies like “Star-Wars”, but less dramatic.

Looking from Earth the debris, together with Earth’s own movement, looks like a stream of shooting stars, or a star traveling quickly in the skies, pulling a wonderful tail behind it.

Most of the meteor showers are known, reputational and expected, but from time to time a new meteorite gets blown up by entering Earth’s protective atmosphere, and that creates a new meteor shower.

A new meteor shower like this is expected on the night of May 24, mainly to be seen in North America.

See this wonderful NASA update to learn more about it and get the exact time for going out and catching this amazing natural light-show.