Trending

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 

Latest Updates

A series of images captured by the European Sentinel 2 satellite shows the devastation caused by the Cumbre Vieja volcano on Spain's island of La Palma one month after the eruption's onset.

Pictures from space! Our image of the day

By Space.com Staff

One month after the onset of the La Palma volcanic eruption, a series of satellite images reveals how the unstoppable force of nature bulldozed swaths of the popular holiday island.

The fireball created by the dead Russian satellite Kosmos-2551 re-entering Earth’s atmosphere on Oct. 20, 2021, captured by Brian Stalsonburg from Comstock Park, Michigan.

Failed Russian spy satellite falls to Earth in brilliant fireball (video)

By Mike Wall

A failed Russian spy satellite crashed back to Earth early this morning (Oct. 20), burning up in a brilliant fireball spotted by many observers in the American Midwest.

The constellation Orion the Hunter takes center stage in this Orionid meteor shower shot by astrophotographer Gowrishankar Lakshminarayanan. He captured these Orionid meteors streaking through the sky over New York's Catskill Mountains on Oct. 21, 2017.

The 2021 Orionid meteor shower peaks tonight! Here's what to expect.

By Samantha Mathewson

The annual Orionid meteor shower will reach its peak today (Oct. 20), but could have some competition with the full Hunter's Moon set to rise tonight, too.

Orionid meteors streak through the starry sky over Big Bend National Park in Texas, in this composite of four shots taken by astrophotographer Sergio Garcia Rill in October 2017.

The Orionid meteor shower peaks this week, but don't expect to see many 'shooting stars'

By Joe Rao

During these next few mornings, we'll have a chance to see a few pieces of Halley's Comet zipping through our atmosphere in the form of meteors.

Astrophotographer Jeff Berkes snapped this amazing photo of an Orionid meteor streaking above a lake in Elverson, Pa., on Oct. 22, 2011, during the peak of the annual Orionid meteor shower.

Orionid meteor shower 2021: When, where & how to see it

By Elizabeth Howell

The Orionid meteor shower is peaks in the early morning of Wednesday, Oct. 20, but a bright full moon will disrupt viewing until shortly before dawn.

This rare lunar meteorite (which is not the meteorite that recently fell in British Columbia) is on display at the UCLA Meteorite Gallery. Only a small fraction of the meteorites that strike Earth each year are ever recovered.

Meteorite crash-lands in woman's bed in Canada

By Mindy Weisberger

A meteorite that landed in British Columbia crashed through a roof and narrowly missed hitting a woman who was asleep in her bed at the time.

A Draconid meteor streaks across the starry sky over Taos, New Mexico, in this photo taken by Mike Lewinski on Oct. 5, 2018.

Draconid meteor shower peaks tonight! Here's how to see it.

By Samantha Mathewson

The annual Draconid meteor shower peaks tonight (Oct. 8), just after dusk, and the moon will be dim enough for skywatchers to catch a good view.

A "shooting star" lights up the night sky during the 2021 Perseid meteor shower.

New 'Arids' meteor shower spotted from the Southern Hemisphere

By Doris Elin Urrutia

A new meteor shower began outbursting last week and astronomers expect its main peak to happen in the next few days.

A Draconid meteor streaks across the starry sky over Tao, New Mexico, in this photo taken by Mike Lewinski on Oct. 5, 2018.

Draconid meteor shower 2021: When, where and how to watch the unpredictable 'shooting star' display

By Mike Wall

The annual Draconid meteor shower peaks Friday evening (Oct. 8), two days after the new moon.

A surveillance camera captured this view of a fireball over Hartsel, Colorado (about 100 miles, or 160 kilometers southwest of Denver), at 4:31 a.m. local time on Oct. 3, 2021.

Bright fireball lights up the pre-dawn sky over Colorado (video)

By Elizabeth Howell

At least dozens of people reported seeing a brilliant fireball over Colorado early Sunday (Oct. 3).

Since there aren't any images of the Greenland fireball, here's an illustration of a space rock burning up as it enters Earth's atmosphere.

32,000 mph fireball spotted soaring over North Carolina

By Ben Turner

The fireball’s bright streak was captured by a neighborhood porch camera.

chinese space satellite yangwang 1 aurora meteors

Chinese commercial satellite has been spotting meteors and aurora

By Andrew Jones

A small Chinese commercial satellite has been detecting meteors impacting the atmosphere and even filming the aurora.

A screenshot of the system scientists used to correlate footage of a February 2020 fireball with still images.

Brilliant dashcam fireball videos help scientists find 3 meteorites in Slovenia

By Meghan Bartels

By diligently tracing dashcam footage from a particularly spectacular fireball seen over central Europe in February 2020, a team of scientists hit pay dirt on three fragments of space rock.

The first "Fountain of Tolerance," in the Italian village of Fontecchio, offers the opportunity to become a human-alien hybrid, via the ingestion of meteorite-infused water.

Art project creates 'human-alien hybrids' with meteorite-infused water

By Mike Wall

The water flowing from a medieval fountain in the Italian village of Fontecchio bubbles with extraterrestrial effervescence.

A Perseid meteor seen in a 30-second exposure image captured in Spruce Knob, West Virginia, on Aug. 11, 2021.

Meteor showers and shooting stars: Formation, facts and discovery

By Space.com Staff

Watching a meteor shower on a clear, dark night is an unforgettable experience.

A meteor over Southampton coast of England on Sept. 5, 2021.

Brilliant meteor lights up sky over southern England coast (video)

By Alexander Cox

The meteor lit up the night sky.

The world's largest Martian meteorite, Taoudenni 002.

World's largest Martian meteorite goes on display

By Harry Baker

The largest piece of Martian rock on Earth, weighing around 32 pounds, has gone on display for the first time, at a museum in Maine.

A Taurid fireball descends in glowing aurora over Lake Simcoe in southern Ontario, Canada, on Nov. 9, 2015.

Taurid meteor shower: Winter fireballs

By Stuart Atkinson

The Taurid meteor shower is relatively sparse, but may display impressive fireballs.

Perseids

Perseid meteor shower of 2021 thrills skywatchers

By Elizabeth Howell

You'll have to wait two more years for a great "shooting star" show in August.

A Perseid meteor is seen above desert poplar plants in Korla, China, on Aug. 12, 2021.

Amazing photos of the 2021 Perseid meteor shower

By Hanneke Weitering

The annual Perseid meteor shower, one of the best displays of "shooting stars" this year, put on a spectacular show for skywatchers around the world.