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

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has successfully deployed its giant primary mirror, putting the new observatory one big step closer to being ready for launch in 2021. The entire 256-inch (6.5 meters) primary mirror assembly unfurled into the same configuration that it would be after deploying in space. This critical test took place in early March, right before NASA's centers shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Work on the Webb telescope was temporarily halted on March 20.

Pictures from space! Our image of the day

By Space.com Staff

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has successfully deployed its giant primary mirror, putting the new observatory one big step closer to being ready for launch in 2021.

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.

A meteor streaks across the sky. In a new study, researchers report finding a novel protein in the meteorite Acfer 086, which landed in Algeria in 1990.

First known extraterrestrial protein possibly spotted in meteorite

By Mike Wall

A research team claimed to have found the first known extraterrestrial protein, spotting it in a space rock that fell to Earth 30 years ago.

A night-sky image taken by the Mars InSight lander's Instrument Context Camera on Jan. 28, 2020.

This picture is from Mars. It's probably not what you think.

By Meghan Bartels

It's some next-level skywatching: Scientists are using images captured by NASA's InSight lander to look for meteors on Mars.

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.

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.

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 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.