METEORS

A meteor is a meteoroid that has entered the Earth's atmosphere, usually making a fiery trail as it falls. It is sometimes called a shooting star or a falling star.

The friction between the fast-moving meteor and the gas in the Earth's atmosphere causes intense heat; the meteor glows with heat and then burns. This glowing phase usually happens 80 to 110 kilometers above the Earth.

Most meteors burn up before hitting the Earth. Only large meteors can survive the trip through our atmosphere. Most meteors glow for only a few seconds before they burn up.

METEOR SHOWERS

A meteor shower is a phenomenon in which many meteors fall through the atmosphere in a relatively short time and in approximately parallel trajectories. A very intense meteor shower is called a meteor storm.

Meteor showers (and storms) occur when the Earth passes through a comet's orbit, and left-over comet debris (rocks, etc.) bombards the Earth. Each meteor shower occurs at a predictable time each year.

METEORITES

A meteorite is a meteor that has fallen to Earth. At least 100 meteorites hit the Earth every year. Meteorites have survived a fiery fall through the Earth's atmosphere and have lost a lot of mass in that process. Most meteorites burn up in the Earth's atmosphere; all that is left is a bit of dust. Every day, about 3000 tons of meteoroid dust falls to Earth.

When meteorites hit the Earth they cause a crater to form. The bigger the meteorite, the bigger the crater.