Glossary
Meteor
A small space rock that catches fire when it hits Earth's air. Sometimes called a shooting star.
A meteor is what we see when a tiny piece of space rock falls toward Earth. The rock is moving so fast (about 40,000 miles per hour!) that it rubs against the air, and the rubbing makes it burn bright like a streak of fire across the sky.
Wait, why does it burn?
Imagine rubbing your hands together really fast. Your hands get warm, right? That's what happens to the meteor as it pushes through the air. Except a meteor is moving so fast that it gets much hotter than warm hands. Hot enough to glow.
Where does it come from?
Most meteors are tiny: smaller than a pebble. Some are as small as a grain of sand! They're little leftover pieces from when the planets were forming, drifting around in space until Earth's gravity pulls them in.
What's a shooting star?
A shooting star is a meteor. They're the same thing! It's not really a star, just a little space rock putting on a show.