How Often Do Meteors Occur?

Most people will have seen a shooting star which is really only a small piece of interplanetary debris falling to earth. As the particle hits our atmosphere it heats up allowing it to be seen, often by the naked eye. This could be at heights of 90km or 55 miles. These are actually meteors to give the proper scientific term.
Meteors can occur in showers and to the trained observer they might be seen every one or two minutes. If there is only a minor shower or sporadic activity between three and eight might be captured with the naked eye in an hour.
The rate depends on a number of factors including the time of year and the time of night. Some sources suggest that over the surface of the planet 100 million might be seen unaided throughout the year.
Incoming particles called meteoroids which give rise to meteors are often as small as a grain of sand.