Myth Debunked: Are meteors only visible when there is a periodic meteor shower?

While the number of meteors observable per unit time does indeed increase during periods known for periodic meteor showers, that does not mean that meteors cannot be observed during other time periods. Indeed, meteors can be observed on any night, provided that the observer is in a suitable location with as little light pollution as possible.

Called sporadic meteors, these meteors typically originate as small pieces of debris that happen to cross the Earth’s path, with their entry into Earth’s atmosphere observable as a meteor (or more commonly known as a shooting star).

There is no real way to predict the occurrence of such sporadic meteors, and thus one can stargaze with the hope to observe such sporadic meteors on any clear night.