Meteors

Did you know that shooting stars are not actually stars? These stunning streaks of light are known as meteors.

Meteors begin as meteoroids, which are pieces of rock that break from comets or asteroids or the debris left behind by the comets. They can range in size from large rocks to tiny grains of sand.

When meteoroids enter the earth's atmosphere, these pieces of rock burn up due to friction and compression, creating bright streaks of light called meteors.

Meteoroids sometimes cluster together in long trails that result in meteor showers when Earth passes through them.

Most of the meteors vaporize completely in our atmosphere and never reach the ground.

However, if meteors survive their journey through the atmosphere and land on Earth, they are called meteorites. They provide valuable information about their formation.

You can spot meteors on clear nights during annual meteor showers like the Perseids in August or the Geminids in December.

Imagine holding a meteorite—how incredible would it be to touch a piece of another world?