The Cosmic Dance of Shooting Stars

Despite their name, shooting stars aren’t actually stars at all. These meteors, or meteoroids as they are called, before hitting the atmosphere, are often pieces of comets or asteroids that have broken off and ended up in Earth’s gravitational pull. While they may seem like simple visual spectacles, meteorites, the fragments that survive their journey through the atmosphere, are incredibly ancient – some are over 4.5 billion years old, dating back to the beginning of the solar system. Scientists study meteorites because they provide a direct link to the materials that formed the planets, including Earth. Meteor showers are a captivating sight, occurring when Earth passes through the debris trail of a comet. The Perseid meteor shower, visible each August, is one of the most famous, caused by debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet. At its peak, it can produce up to 100 meteors per hour.

When a comet streaked across the sky or a meteorite blazed through the atmosphere, people didn’t see them as random space rocks; they saw them as Divine messages. For example, the ancient Chinese believed that comets were the result of a disruption in the balance of the universe and that they were a sign of major events to come, such as the rise or fall of a dynasty. In the Yoruba tradition of West Africa, shooting stars are associated with the god Shango, who is believed to bring rain and fertility. In Japan, shooting stars are considered to be a sign of good luck and fortune, especially during the summer months when the Perseid meteor shower is visible. Folklore refers to them as “tears of the dragon,” and it is believed that if you make a wish upon one, your wish will be granted. This New Year, may the night sky continue to inspire us and remind us of the magic and beauty that exists in the universe.