Astronomers are predicting the annual Leonid meteor shower to light up the skies over North America within the next few days.

Russell Lavery, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, said the earth crosses the orbit of a comet each year, causing the flurries of shooting stars against the sky.

“Leonid meteors are caused by the Earth passing through dust remnants left behind from comets,” he said.

The same meteor shower is seen every year because the comet, called the Tempel-Tuttle or Leonid Comet, leaves dust and ice particles in a particular spot that the earth passes through in its orbit, Lavery said.

These particles are similar to dust on earth, except the speed of the collision has transformed the particles, said Lee Anne Willson, university professor of physics and astronomy.

“The relative speed is so high between the earth and these very small dust particles that they vaporize and glow,” she said.

Currently, there are no known effects of the meteors on the earth except for the radiant display during the night. Willson described the meteor as a “vivid and lovely phenomenon.”

Lavery said people who want to get the best view of the meteor should “look towards the east, above the horizon, and try to go to a dark area.”

It may be difficult to see the meteor this year, Lavery said.

“The moon is so bright at night [that] most people won’t see the meteors very well,” he said.

NASA will be launching a specially equipped weather balloon to monitor the Leonid meteor shower 100,000 feet above Earth’s surface, and they will broadcast a live video feed, according to the NASA Web site.To view the video, visit the Web site at www.leonids.com, and for more information about the Leonid comet, visit www.spacescience.com.