Meteors

Meteors are the visible streaks of light that occur when a meteoroid—a small rocky or metallic body from space—enters the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed. As the meteoroid descends, it encounters atmospheric resistance, which causes it to heat up and produce a bright flash of light. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as a "shooting star" or "falling star." Most meteors are small, often the size of a grain of sand, and they typically disintegrate before reaching the Earth's surface.If a meteoroid survives its journey through the atmosphere and lands on the Earth's surface, it is then classified as a meteorite. Meteors are often associated with meteor showers, which occur when the Earth passes through a stream of debris left by a comet or asteroid. The study of meteors involves understanding their origins, compositions, and the implications they may have for Earth and planetary science.