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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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Electric blue streaks through the upper regions of Earth’s atmosphere every summer in the Northern Hemisphere. They usually swirl above the Arctic in the mesosphere (about 50 miles (80 kilometers) above Earth’s surface), but sometimes they form lower in the atmosphere and show up in other places across the globe. This image shows an image of noctilucent (or night-shining) clouds on June 23. The image, made using data from NASA’s Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) craft, ic centered on the North Pole.

Pictures from space! Our image of the day

By Space.com Staff

This image shows an image of noctilucent (or night-shining) clouds on June 23. The image, made using data from NASA’s Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) craft, is centered on the North Pole.

An artist's image of the last seconds in the prehistoric village of Abu Hureyra, where a fireball from the sky likely destroyed the village.

Death from above? Fireball may have destroyed ancient Syrian village

By Nola Taylor Redd

An ancient Syrian village was destroyed by a fireball from the sky, scientists suspect.

A blue fireball streaks across the sky.

Mysterious blue fireball streaks above Western Australia, puzzling astronomers

By Stephanie Pappas

Scientists aren't sure if space junk or a meteor caused a brilliant blue fireball seen across Western Australia.

A brilliant fireball lights up the night sky over Knoxville, Tennessee, in this cell phone video captured from a moving vehicle by witness Austin R. at 9:42 p.m. EDT on June 7, 2020 (0142 GMT June 8).

Brilliant fireball lights up skies over Tennessee (video)

By Tariq Malik

A meteor lit up the night sky over Tennessee and neighboring states late Sunday (June 7), sparking 120 fireball sightings across 12 different nearby states and Canada.

Original artwork depicting the moment the asteroid struck 66 million years ago, in what is now Mexico.

Fiery meteor that doomed the dinosaurs struck at 'deadliest possible' angle

By Mindy Weisberger

The asteroid that sealed the dinosaurs' fate at the end of the Cretaceous struck at an angle that was the worst-case scenario for life on Earth.

A mysterious blast in 1908, thought to have been caused by a meteor, flattened a Siberian taiga forest. This photo was taken in 1938, during an expedition by Russian mineralogist Leonid Kulik, investigating the event.

Meteor that blasted millions of trees in Siberia only 'grazed' Earth, new research says

By Mindy Weisberger

Scientists have a new explanation for an explosive cosmic event in 1908 that flattened trees for hundreds of miles in a remote Siberian forest.

This sky map shows the location of the constellation Ursa Minor (Little Bear), the star pattern from which the annual Ursid meteor shower appears to radiate from.

The Ursid meteor shower: A sparkling winter show

By Adam Mann

Bear with us for meteors.

The Japanese company ALE (Astro Live Experiences) aimed to create an artificial meteor shower with its small satellite ALE-2.That attempt has failed.

Japanese satellite filled with 'shooting star' pellets won't spawn artificial meteor shower after all

By Mike Wall

We'll have to wait another three years or so to see a Japanese company's first big artificial-meteor sky show.

Justin Ng of Singapore captured this view of a bright Eta Aquarid meteor hurtling across the night sky over Mount Bromo, on the Indonesian island of Java.

Eta Aquarid meteor shower 2020: When, where and how to see it

By Jesse Emspak

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower from late April to mid-May offers a long stretch of spectacular 'shooting stars' that even a casual observer can spot in the night sky.

An Eta Aquarid fireball lights up the sky over Devils Tower, part of the Bear Lodge Mountains in Wyoming. Astrophotographer David Kingham captured this shot during the 2013 Eta Aquarid meteor shower.

The 2020 Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks tonight! See 'crumbs' of Comet Halley rain on Earth

By Joe Rao

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks overnight tonight (May 4), with the best views arriving before dawn on Tuesday (May 5).

A composite image showing how the Sutter's Mill meteorite fell in California in April 2012. In 2020, researchers uncovered evidence of what is most likely the earliest recorded incident of a person being hit and killed by a meteorite in what is now Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, on Aug. 22, 1888.

Death from above: Scientists find earliest evidence of person killed by meteorite

By Chelsea Gohd

Researchers have uncovered the earliest evidence of a person being hit and killed by a meteorite falling to Earth.

2013 Eta Aquarid Meteor Over Mount Bromo

The Eta Aquarids: A spring meteor shower from Comet Halley

By Elizabeth Howell

The Eta Aquarids can be seen in both hemispheres, but the Southern Hemisphere gets the best view.

Surface detail of the Tomanowos meteorite, showing cavities produced by dissolution of iron.

Tomanowos, the meteorite that survived mega-floods and human folly

By Daniel Garcia-Castellanos

The rock with arguably the most fascinating story on Earth has an ancient name.

Photographer Timothy Wenzel created this composite of six Lyrid meteor photos he captured from Midland, Michigan, in the early morning hours of April 22, 2020.

The 2020 Lyrid meteor shower thrills skywatchers. Here are the best photos.

By Hanneke Weitering

The annual Lyrid meteor shower put on an exceptional show for skywatchers this year, with the new moon setting the stage for gorgeous "shooting stars" to prance across the dark night sky.

A fireball from the Lyrid meteor shower of 2020 is captured by a camera with NASA's All-sky Network early on April 21, 2020.

NASA spots fireballs from Lyrid meteor shower 2020 (video)

By Tariq Malik

The Lyrid meteor shower of 2020 will be at its best overnight, but NASA has already captured some "shooting stars" with cameras across the United States.

Photographer Islam Hassan captured this photo of a Lyrid meteor over Egypt on April 25, 2015.

The Lyrid meteor shower of 2020 peaks tonight!

By Hanneke Weitering

You may not be able to see the moon in the sky tonight, but if you look up for long enough at a dark, clear sky, you may catch some "shooting stars."

Astrophotographer Jeff Berkes captured this Lyrid meteor in the marshlands of southern Maryland on April 14, 2013. The 2020 Lyrid meteor shower will peak overnight on April 21-22, 2020.

Lyrid meteor shower 2020 peaks this week! Here's what to expect.

By Joe Rao

The 2020 Lyrid meteor shower this week coincides with the new moon, meaning that there will be absolutely no lunar interference with getting a good view of these celestial streakers.

Lyrid Meteors and the Milky Way Over Hope Valley, California

Lyrid meteor shower: Leftovers of Comet Thatcher

By Elizabeth Howell

The Lyrid meteor shower has been observed for more than 2,700 years.

Lyrid meteors and the Milky Way over Hope Valley, California

Lyrid meteor shower 2020: When, where & how to see it

By Jesse Emspak

In late April, skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere will get a view of the Lyrid meteor shower, the dusty trail of a comet with a centuries-long orbit around the sun.

This image is a composition of 33 Leonid meteors captured overnight from Nov. 18 to 19, 2001.

How to see the best meteor showers of 2020

By Doris Elin Urrutia

This year's best meteor shower might be the Geminids in December, but if you don't want to skywatch in the cold, the summertime Perseids will also put on a show.