Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through a stream of debris left by a comet. Every particle enters the atmosphere at the same angle, creating the illusion that meteors stream from a single vanishing point — the radiant — due to perspective.
Meteors travel in parallel, but perspective projection makes parallel lines converge. The radiant point is the constellation the stream appears to emanate from. As particles hit air at 11–72 km/s they ablate: the kinetic energy ionises surrounding air molecules, producing the visible streak.
Select a shower (Perseids, Leonids, Geminids …) to set the authentic radiant altitude, speed and colour temperature. Adjust Intensity for storm vs. background rate (~10–1 000 meteors/hour). Toggle Fireball mode for bolides with persistent trains.
The 1833 Leonid storm produced an estimated 100 000 meteors per hour, terrifying observers who thought Judgment Day had arrived. It led scientists to realise that meteor showers repeat annually and come from fixed directions — the first proof that comets leave persistent debris trails.