What is referred to as a meteor shower?

A meteor shower is characterized by the appearance of multiple meteors in the sky occurring within a relatively short timeframe. This phenomenon typically happens when Earth passes through the debris left behind by a comet, leading to numerous meteors entering the atmosphere and burning up, which creates bright streaks of light. These events can result in tens or even hundreds of meteors being visible in a single hour during their peak.

In contrast, a single bright meteor is simply referred to as a meteor or shooting star, and it does not constitute a shower. A bright star seen at night is typically a celestial body, not related to meteors at all. Lastly, a recurring comet describes an object in orbit around the sun that can produce meteor showers when Earth crosses its orbit, but it is not itself a meteor shower. Thus, the accurate definition of a meteor shower focuses on the collective observation of multiple meteors within a brief interval.