Browsing: Meteors

Meteors are the visible streaks of light in the sky, often referred to as “shooting stars” or “falling stars,” produced when meteoroids—small pieces of interplanetary debris—enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up due to frictional heating. Meteoroids themselves are typically composed of rock, metal, or a combination of both, and originate from comets or asteroids. As a meteoroid enters the atmosphere at high speeds, the intense heat caused by air friction vaporizes most of the material, creating a bright trail that can be seen from the ground. Most meteors disintegrate completely in the atmosphere; however, any remaining fragments that reach the Earth’s surface are called meteorites. Meteors can occur randomly or during predictable annual meteor showers, where the Earth passes through dense regions of space debris left by comets. These events are spectacular to observe and attract both amateur stargazers and professional astronomers.