DAMASCUS, (SANA) – A meteor shower will be visible in several areas in the world including Syria as the Earth passes in the trail of the comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle.

The meteor shower is a result of contact between the debris or meteoroids from the trail of the comet and Earth's atmosphere, which causes them to burn.

This meteor shower, which will peak at Saturday night until dawn, is known as a Leonid meteor shower, as the constellation Leo is visible behind it, appearing first in the north then shifting to northeast as the Earth rotates.

Viewing conditions for the meteor shower in Syria are considered excellent, as the moon will set at around 7:10 PM which provides better visibility. Meteor showers are harmless to Earth and to humans, and are a sight to behold.

55P/Tempel–Tuttle, which has an orbital period of 33 years, is named after the two astronomers who discovered it independently; Ernst Tempel who discovered it on December 19, 1865, and Horace Parnell Tuttle who also discovered it on  January 6, 1866.

H. Sabbagh