Meteor-Shower Parent Bodies

An asteroid on a short-period, comet-like orbit believed to be a dormant or extinct comet nucleus — the parent body of the sharp, brief Quadrantid meteor shower.

A near-Earth asteroid that brightens and sheds dust as it passes very close to the Sun — a 'rock comet' — and the parent body of the Geminid meteor shower, unusual for a shower whose source is an asteroid rather than a comet.

The comet with the shortest known orbital period (about 3.3 years) and the parent of the Taurid meteor stream.

A Jupiter-family comet, parent of the Draconid meteor shower, and the first comet ever visited by a spacecraft — NASA's ICE probe flew through its tail in 1985.

The most famous comet, visible from Earth every ~76 years, whose return in 1986 was met by an international fleet including ESA's Giotto — and the parent of two annual meteor showers.

A large Halley-type comet on a 133-year orbit, the parent body of the reliable Perseid meteor shower each August.

The parent comet of the Leonid meteor shower, whose 33-year returns produce the periodic Leonid storms.

A long-period comet on a roughly 415-year orbit, the parent body of the Lyrid meteor shower seen each April.