What phenomenon occurs when the Earth crosses a former comet's path?

When Earth crosses the path of a former comet, the phenomenon that occurs is known as a meteor shower. This happens because comets leave behind a trail of debris as they travel through space. When Earth orbits the Sun and moves through this debris, particles enter the atmosphere at high speeds and produce bright streaks of light, which we observe as meteors.

During a meteor shower, many meteors can be seen in a short period, often appearing to radiate from a specific point in the sky associated with the comet's orbit. This is why meteor showers are often named after the constellations from which they seem to originate.

In contrast, events like a solar eclipse involve the alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun rather than the passage through comet debris. Meteor storms refer to exceptionally high rates of meteors, but they are still classified as meteor showers. An orbital collision describes a very different event where two celestial bodies physically collide, which is not relevant to the passage of Earth through a comet's path.