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Shattered comet adds layer of mystery to Monday night’s meteor shower
SANFORD, Fla. - A comet that broke apart 27 years ago is adding some intrigue to what is usually a rather modest meteor shower this year, with potential for a spectacular display of shooting stars Monday night.Or, astronomers said, it could totally wash out leaving relatively blank skies for eager meteor shower gazers.The meteor shower is courtesy of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 – also abbreviated SW3. The comet was discovered in 1930 and had since made routine mundane trips around the sun every 5.4 years as a faint comet and the source of the annual but tepid Tau-Herculids meteor shower in late May. WHO WAS JAMES WEBB? THE NAMESAKE BEHIND THE SPACE TELESCOPE That is, until 1995 when suddenly the comet became considerably brighter.