Meteor - Definition, Examples, Quiz, FAQ, Trivia
Discover the amazing world of shooting stars and space rocks!
What is a Meteor?
A meteor is a streak of light you see in the night sky when a small piece of space rock, called a meteoroid, burns up in Earth's atmosphere. This happens because the meteoroid is traveling so fast that it heats up and glows brightly as it falls toward Earth.
You might know meteors by their nickname: shooting stars! But they're not actually stars at all - they're just tiny bits of space dust or rock that enter our atmosphere. Most meteors are smaller than a grain of sand!
Space Fact!
About 48 tons of meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere every day! That's as heavy as 6 elephants!
Meteor Showers
Sometimes, we can see lots of meteors all at once! This special event is called a meteor shower. Meteor showers happen when Earth passes through the trail of dust and debris left behind by a comet.
During a meteor shower, you might see dozens of meteors per hour! The most famous meteor showers are:
Perseids
August 11-13 each year
Leonids
Mid-November each year
Geminids
Mid-December each year
The best time to watch a meteor shower is after midnight, away from city lights. Lie back on a blanket and look up at the sky - you might see a beautiful cosmic light show!
Meteorites
When a meteoroid is large enough to survive its fiery trip through Earth's atmosphere and lands on the ground, it becomes a meteorite. Meteorites are like space rocks that we can actually touch and study!
Scientists have found meteorites all over the world. The largest meteorite ever found is the Hoba meteorite in Namibia, Africa. It weighs about 66 tons - that's as heavy as 10 elephants!
Crater Formation
When very large meteorites hit Earth, they create craters. The largest known crater on Earth is the Vredefort Crater in South Africa, which is 190 miles wide!
Meteor vs Meteorite
It's easy to get confused between meteors and meteorites. Here's the difference:
Meteoroid
A small rock floating in space
Meteor
The streak of light when it burns in the atmosphere
Meteorite
The rock that lands on Earth's surface
Think of it like this: When the space rock is in space, it's a meteoroid. When it's burning up in our atmosphere and making a bright streak, it's a meteor. And if any pieces make it to the ground, they become meteorites.
Meteor Quiz Challenge
Test your meteor knowledge with this space quiz! Answer all 5 questions to see how much you've learned.
Meteor FAQs
Here are answers to some common questions about meteors:
Meteor Trivia
Discover some amazing facts about meteors and space rocks!
Brightest Meteor
The brightest meteor ever recorded was seen over the United States in 1966. It was brighter than a full moon and was visible during daylight!
Dinosaur Connection
Scientists believe a giant meteorite about 6 miles wide hit Earth 66 million years ago, causing the extinction of dinosaurs.
Ancient Beliefs
Many ancient cultures believed meteors were messages from the gods. The ancient Greeks thought they were stars falling from the sky!
Moon Meteors
The Moon has no atmosphere, so meteoroids hit its surface directly. This is why the Moon has so many craters!
