Meteor mania: the ultimate meteor space quiz

A photograph of a meteor shower in the night sky.
A photograph of a meteor shower in the night sky. (Image credit: Daniel Pludowski/EyeEm/Getty Images)

They streak across the sky in brilliant flashes, ignite our curiosity and sometimes even shake the ground beneath our feet. Meteors are among the most captivating phenomena in the night sky.

These fiery visitors are bits of space debris burning up as they plunge through Earth's atmosphere. But behind their fleeting beauty lies a fascinating story of cosmic collisions, ancient origins and planetary drama.

Think you know your meteors from your meteorites? Can you name the most famous meteor showers, or explain what causes their radiant displays?

Whether you're a casual skywatcher or a cosmic connoisseur, prepare to be tested on your meteor mastery.

Try it out below and see how well you score!

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Content Manager at Space.com. Formerly, she was the Science Communicator at JILA, a physics research institute. Kenna is also a freelance science journalist. Her beats include quantum technology, AI, animal intelligence, corvids, and cephalopods.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.