Showers of shooting stars or meteors are seen at regular times each year on Earth because:
A)Earth passes through the fringes of the asteroid belt at these times.
B)Earth is bombarded by material, including dust grains, ejected from the Sun during regular sunspot activity.
C)Earth runs into material within the spiral arm structure of the Milky Way at these times.
D)Earth passes through a cloud of remnant dust and rock fragments from an old comet that is circling the Sun in the comet's old orbit.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Showers of shooting stars or meteors are typically caused by Earth passing through a cloud of debris left behind by a comet. This debris is made up of dust and small rock fragments that burn up as they enter Earth's atmosphere, creating the visible streaks of light in the sky. These showers are regular because Earth passes through debris clouds at the same time each year as it orbits the Sun, corresponding to the path of the comet that left the debris behind.

Showers of Shooting Stars or Meteors Are Seen at Regular