Phenomenon
Meteor Showers
Cosmic dust burning in our atmosphere.
Annual events when Earth passes through a comet or asteroid debris trail. ZHR = peak meteors per hour from a dark site.
How to watch
Lie back, let your eyes dark-adapt for 20 minutes, look toward zenith but not directly at the radiant.
See also
Aurora (Northern/Southern Lights)
Solar wind painting the upper atmosphere.
Supernova Type Ia
A white dwarf detonating as a cosmic standard candle.
Meteor
A streak of light from a meteoroid burning up.
Solar Eclipse
When the Moon stands between Earth and Sun.
Lunar Eclipse
When Earth's shadow falls on the Moon.
Supernova
The catastrophic death of a massive star.