The number of visible shooting stars, also known as meteors or meteoroids, that occur on any given night can vary widely depending on several factors such as the time of year, the observer's location, local weather conditions, and the presence of any ongoing meteor showers.
On an average night with no major meteor shower activity, you might expect to see a few random sporadic meteors per hour. These meteors are not associated with any specific shower and can appear at any time of the year.
During a meteor shower, the number of visible meteors can increase significantly. Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the debris left behind by a comet or asteroid, causing an increased number of meteors to be visible. The most well-known and reliable meteor shower is the Perseids, which typically peaks around mid-August and can produce up to 60-100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. However, the actual number of visible meteors during a shower can vary depending on factors like light pollution and weather conditions.
It's important to note that these numbers are rough estimates, and the actual number of visible shooting stars can vary from night to night. Additionally, the term "shooting star" refers to the visual appearance of meteors streaking across the sky, caused by small particles entering Earth's atmosphere and burning up due to friction. They are not actual stars, but rather celestial debris.