Sun is tearing a huge asteroid apart - and Earth is flying through it

"What makes this discovery so exciting is that we are essentially witnessing a hidden asteroid being baked to bits."

"Each day, thousands of tiny space rocks fall to Earth and burn up in the atmosphere to produce glowing meteorites."

"Meteor showers occur when Earth moves through a cloud of dust and small rocks littering space, which fall into the atmosphere and burn up with a dazzling flash."

"When an icy comet or rocky asteroid starts to crumble - either due to heating, or a collision with another object - scientists say that it has become 'active'."

A NASA scientist has reported that Earth is moving through debris from a crumbling asteroid, resulting in a new meteor shower named M2026-A1. This meteor shower will be visible annually from March 16 to April 7. The debris consists of rocky fragments from an asteroid or rock-comet that got too close to the sun. The phenomenon provides scientists with insights into the asteroid's disintegration process, as Earth encounters thousands of tiny space rocks that burn up in the atmosphere, creating visible meteorites.

Read at Mail Online