The Leonid meteor shower is created as Earth pass through the trail of tiny debris left behind by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle as it passes through our part of the solar system every 33 years. Even the brightest meteor of this, or other showers, is no bigger than a grain of rice.

The meteor shower is caused by debris from Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, creating a natural light show as small particles burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. While the cloudy Pacific Northwest weather may obstruct the full display, patient observers might still be rewarded with occasional meteor sightings.