The unpredictable Bootid meteor shower peaks tonight, though stargazers in the U.S. will need luck on their side to catch one of the ancient shooting stars streaking through the post-sunset sky.
Each June, Earth passes through the trail of debris left in the wake of the comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke, giving rise to the Bootid meteor shower. Its official designation stems from the simple fact that its radiant — the point from which its meteors appear to approach Earth — is situated in the constellation Bootes, the herdsman, which can be found above the western horizon in late June.
