The Tempel–Tuttle comet is a periodic comet that orbits the Sun approximately every 33 years. It was discovered in 1865 by the astronomers Hermann Alexander Tempel and William R. Tuttle. The comet is notable for being the parent body of the Leonids meteor shower, which occurs annually in November. As the Earth passes through the debris left by Tempel–Tuttle, tiny particles enter the atmosphere and create bright streaks of light known as meteors. The Leonids are particularly famous for their intense meteor storms, which can produce hundreds of meteors per hour during peak activity.