Posted by tourdemars to Meteorites at November 23, 2005 11:36 AM

NASA's rover Spirit has turned its gaze away from the Martian rocks at its wheels and looks skyward in an attempt to spot a meteor shower. Mars is currently passing through debris left by Halley’s comet and the Spirit team hope the rover might spot bright streaks left in the sky as the Red Planet spins through the ghost of the comet's tail. The rover's panoramic camera has so far spotted several streaks in the Martian night sky. However, these may turn out to be the result of cosmic rays – highly energetic particles that zoom from all directions in space – rather than a meteor shower produced by the long-gone comet.