Definition

Noun: - A temporary, increased occurrence of meteors visible in the sky, caused when the Earth passes through a trail of debris (a meteor swarm) left by a comet or asteroid. This debris enters and burns up in the Earth's atmosphere.

Usage

• The term is used in astronomy to describe the visual phenomenon of numerous meteors appearing to radiate from a specific point in the sky over a limited period.
• It is often used interchangeably with "meteor shower," though "stream" can emphasize the specific, ribbon-like path of orbiting debris.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "Parent body" of a meteor stream: The comet or asteroid from which the debris originated.
  • Comet Swift-Tuttle is the parent body of the Perseid meteor stream.

Variants and Related Words

• Meteor shower (n): The more common term for the same phenomenon.
• Meteor swarm (n): The cloud of debris in space that causes the stream when encountered.
• Meteoroid stream (n): A more technical term focusing on the particles in space before they enter the atmosphere.

Synonyms

• Meteor shower
• Falling stars (colloquial)

Related Phrases

• Annual meteor stream: A shower that occurs predictably each year when Earth crosses the same debris field.
• Meteor storm: An exceptionally intense meteor shower with a very high rate of meteors per hour.

Noun

1. a transient shower of meteors when a meteor swarm enters the earth's atmosphere