What Causes a ‘Meteor Shower’ and How Is It Different from a Comet?

A meteor shower happens when tiny bits of space rock fall into Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, creating bright streaks in the sky. Imagine a comet as like a giant snowball that travels through space. When it goes near the Sun, some pieces break off and travel with it. Later on, when Earth passes through those pieces, they become meteors, like little sparks falling from the sky!