An increase in meteor activity produced when the Earth passes through a trail of debris (a meteor stream) in orbit about the Sun. Meteors from a given shower appear to emanate from a common area of sky, the radiant. Meteor showers recur annually, and range from weak displays barely detectable above the background of sporadic meteors to major activity such as that of the Perseids or Geminids. During such strong showers, up to one meteor per minute can be seen for a day or so. Shower activity may be seen for only a few days in the case of a young meteor stream, or may persist for a number of weeks in the case of an older, more spread-out stream. The main showers are listed in the table.