Discovery of a Meteor Shower Caused by an Asteroid Fragmenting Near the Sun

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:27:00 +0200

Researchers studying meteors have discovered a previously unknown meteor shower originating from an asteroid being broken down by solar heat. Using millions of observations from all-sky camera networks in Canada, Japan, California, and Europe, scientists identified a cluster of 282 meteors that reveal the asteroid’s gradual disintegration. Unlike comets, which release dust through sublimation of ice, this asteroid sheds fragments due to intense heat from its close approach to the Sun. The meteors indicate that the asteroid’s surface is fragile yet sturdier than cometary material, shedding light on the physical evolution of near-Earth asteroids. Meteor showers provide a unique method to detect active asteroids that may be invisible to traditional telescopes. Discovering these hidden objects is crucial for planetary defense and understanding the diversity of meteoritic material reaching Earth. The source asteroid of this new meteor shower remains unidentified, but NASA’s upcoming NEO Sur