What are meteors? Why are meteors commonly called shooting stars?

Meteors are small fragments of rock or metal from space that enter Earth's atmosphere at very high speeds. As a meteor travels through the atmosphere, the friction between the meteor and air molecules causes the meteor to heat up and glow brightly due to incandescence. This glowing streak of light in the night sky is what we call a meteor.

Meteors are often called shooting stars because they appear like stars shooting quickly across the sky, leaving a bright trail. However, meteors are not stars at all but small space debris burning up in Earth's atmosphere.

Most meteors are tiny, often no bigger than a grain of sand, and they burn up completely before reaching the ground. When a larger meteor survives and lands on Earth, it is called a meteorite. Meteors can occur singly or as part of a meteor shower when Earth passes through debris left by a comet.

Because their bright and fast movement is visible mostly at night, meteors have fascinated humans for centuries as mysterious "shooting stars," despite being natural space rocks burning up in the air.