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Meteors

Meteors, also known as shooting stars, are pieces of dust and debris from space that burn up in Earth's atmosphere, where they can create bright streaks across the night sky. When Earth passes through the dusty trail of a comet or asteroid's orbit, the many streaks of light in the sky are known as a meteor shower. Particularly large chunks of material can create an extra-bright fireball streak, but most meteors are still small enough to entirely burn up in Earth's atmosphere. If a meteor makes it to Earth it's known as a meteorite. Before they hit atmosphere the objects are called meteoroids. 

Related Topics: Asteroids, Aurora Borealis, Comets 

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Pictures from Space! Our Image of the Day

By Space.com Staff

Light trails streak across the Earth as star trails circle overhead in this stunning long-exposure photo taken by NASA astronaut Christina Koch at the International Space Station.

Dust-rich outflows of evolved stars similar to the pictured Egg Nebula are plausible sources of the large presolar grains found in meteorites like Murchison.

7 billion-year-old stardust is oldest material found on Earth

By Mindy Weisberger

Scientists recently identified the oldest material on Earth: stardust that's 7 billion years old, tucked away in a massive, rocky meteorite that struck our planet half a century ago.

Look to the northeastern sky overnight on Jan. 3-4, 2020 for the peak of the 2020 Quadrantid meteor shower.

The 2020 Quadrantid Meteor Shower Peaks Soon. Here's What to Expect.

By Joe Rao

Early Saturday morning (Jan. 4), a strong display of Quadrantid meteors is likely for Europe and North America.

Quadrantid meteor shower over Florida Keys

Quadrantid Meteor Shower 2020: When, Where & How to See It

By Elizabeth Howell, Hanneke Weitering

The 2020 Quadrantid meteor shower will peak overnight on Jan. 3-4, and the moon will be favorable to see the faint display of "shooting stars." Here's our guide.

Artist's illustration of a black hole.

The Decade in Astronomy: These Space Discoveries Shaped the 2010s

By Sarah Wells

As the 2010s come to a close, it's time to revisit how some of the biggest space science stories shaped the decade.

An image taken from the International Space Station of a crewed Soyuz capsule launching to visit the facility on Sept. 25, 2019.

10 Things That Blasted Through Space in 2019

By Nicoletta Lanese

… and sometimes crashed to Earth.

Multiple Geminid meteors streak through the sky in this photo captured by Tony Corso just south of Paris, Texas.

The 2019 Ursid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight!

By Joe Rao

The annual Ursid meteor shower will peak during the overnight hours of Sunday (Dec. 22), into the morning hours of Monday (Dec. 23).

The scientists on the expedition hope that two specialized arrays of metal detectors, towed by snowmobiles, will reveal iron meteorites from the early solar system just below the icy surface.

'Lost' Iron Meteorites May Lurk Beneath Antarctic Ice. Scientists on Quest to Find Them.

By Tom Metcalfe

Scientists are scouring the remote Antarctic ice cap for rare meteorites chock-full of iron and holding secrets to the history of our solar system going back some 4.5 billion years.

A meteor falls through the sky.

How to See the 2019 Geminid Meteor Shower Peak Tonight, Despite Bright Moon

By Joe Rao

So far, 2019 has been a disaster if you are an enthusiastic watcher of "shooting stars."

This image captured by NASA's Parker Solar Probe highlights the location of the very faint dust trail observed following the asteroid Phaethon's orbit.

Geminid Meteor Shower's Parent Debris Trail Spotted for 1st Time (Photo)

By Mike Wall

NASA's record-breaking Parker Solar Probe has given us a new perspective on the famous Geminid meteor shower, which peaks this weekend.

Geminid Fireball Near Orion

Geminid Meteor Shower: Dust From an Asteroid

By Elizabeth Howell

The Geminids come from an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon, but scientists are still trying to figure out exactly how it sheds enough debris to produce the bright meteor shower.

A fireball exploded in the night sky over the Bay Area in San Francisco, CA on 17 Oct 2012.

Scientists Spot Rare Minimoon Fireball Over Australia

By Chelsea Gohd

A fiery explosion over the Australian desert may have been an ultra-rare minimoon, researchers think.

Ann Hodges (center) poses with her meteorite, underneath the point where it crashed through her house, with Sylacauga, Alabama mayor Ed Howard (left) and the town's police chief W.D. Ashcraft. Hodges was struck by the meteorite while on her couch on Nov. 30, 1954. She donated it to the University of Alabama's Museum of Natural History in 1956.

How a Meteorite Ruined an Alabama Woman's Afternoon 65 Years Ago

By Chelsea Gohd

In this artist's illustration, fiery meteors fall to the crater- and lava-pocked Earth billions of years ago.

Your RNA May Have Come from Space, Meteor Study Suggests

By Brandon Specktor

The discovery of ribose sugar in ancient meteorites just made space rocks a little sweeter.

This map from Sky & Telescope shows the sky facing southeast from Philadelphia at 11:50 p.m. EST on Nov. 21, when the rare Alpha Monocerotid meteor shower will have a very brief outburst. Two Alpha Monocerotid radiants are marked, 1985 and 1995.

That Epic Meteor Outburst Tonight May Be a Bust, NASA Scientist Says

By Chelsea Gohd

A NASA scientist thinks that tonight's meteor outburst could be a total bust.

This map from Sky & Telescope shows the sky facing southeast from Philadelphia at 11:50 p.m. EST on Nov. 21, when the rare Alpha Monocerotid meteor shower will have a very brief outburst. Two Alpha Monocerotid radiants are marked, 1985 and 1995.

Legendary Meteor Outburst May Occur Thursday Night. Here's What to Know

By Joe Rao

It could come from The Unicorn.

This year's Leonid meteor shower will likely be disappointing.

The Leonid Meteor Shower 2019 Is Peaking Now: Here's What to Expect

By Joe Rao

It's going to be a poor year for one of the most famous meteor showers, the Leonids.

Leonid meteors move so fast that the air in front of the meteor is compressed and heated by ram pressure, the heated air scorches the meteor.

Leonid Meteor Shower: Bright Fireballs in November

By Elizabeth Howell

The Leonids take place every year in November. Once a generation, it is possible for a storm of meteors to occur with a peak of about 1,000 an hour – or even more.

Skywatcher Jim Gamble of El Paso, Texas created this composite image of the 2010 Leonid meteor shower display using an allsky camera.

The Leonid Meteor Shower Explained in 10 Facts

By Robert Roy Britt

A fireball meteor lights up the night sky above the Gateway Arch in St. Louis on Nov. 11, 2019.

Watch a Brilliant Fireball Flash Over St. Louis' Historic Arch (Video)

By Samantha Mathewson

A bright fireball meteor streaked across the night sky above Missouri Monday (Nov. 11), passing over St. Louis' iconic Gateway Arch.