What Is a Meteor?

What is a Meteor?

• A meteor is a piece of comet, meteoroid, or asteroid that travels into Earth's atmosphere.
• Millions of these objects are present in space, and occasionally they enter Earth's atmosphere.
• When a meteor enters the atmosphere, it creates heat, causing it to glow, and appears as a shooting star.

Meteor Showers

• Meteor showers occur when Earth travels through the tail of a comet or an area with high space debris.
• This results in a spectacular sight, with hundreds of shooting stars visible.
• Major meteor showers happen about 40 times a year, and finding a calendar online can help plan viewing.

Fireballs

• A meteor is considered a fireball if it is as bright as the planet Venus.
• Fireballs are rare and can produce a booming or cracking sound when entering the atmosphere.
• They can occur during the day or over areas with low population, making them difficult to observe.

Impacts on Earth

• Most meteors are completely burned up in the atmosphere, leaving no impact.
• Rarely, large impacts occur, resulting in craters, which are deep, hollowed-out bowl-like indentations.
• Scientists have identified locations in America and around the world where craters are believed to have been created by meteors.