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 chunk of black and gray meteoric rock which contains the two brand-new minerals

2 minerals never seen before on Earth found inside 17-ton meteorite

By Ben Turner published

The minerals were found inside a slice of the El Ali meteorite, which was discovered in Somalia in 2020.

colliding spiral galaxies awash with stars.

Pictures from space! Our image of the day

By Space.com Staff last updated

This dramatic image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope displays a galactic merger of cosmic proportions.

leonid meteor streaks through the sky.

The Leonid meteor shower peaks tonight (Nov. 17)

By Robert Lea published

The Leonid meteor shower, created when the Earth passes through dust left behind by the Comet Tempel-Tuttle, peaks on Thurs to Fri, Nov. 17 to Nov. 18.

The Milky Way is reflected in an Alpine Lake as three Leonid meteors streak overhead.

The Leonid meteor shower of 2022 peaks this week. Here's what to expect.

By Joe Rao published

Scientists have produced various models of the Leonid meteor shower and all of them are indicating that the Earth will intersect a few "rivers of rubble" left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle this year.

Northern Taurids Meteor Shower Peak

Watch for fireballs as the Northern Taurid meteor shower peaks tonight (Nov. 12)

By Robert Lea published

The Taurid meteor shower created as Earth passes through debris left behind by the comet Encke peaks on Saturday Nov. 12 with an increased opportunity to see a bright fireball erupt in the sky.

The Geminid meteor shower can produce over one hundred meteors per hour. In this photograph, the Geminid meteor shower is seen above the Kubuqi Desert of Inner Mongolia, China on Dec. 13, 2020.

Geminid meteor shower 2022: Everything you need to know

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

Reference The Geminid meteor shower peaks the night of Dec. 13-14. Our guide tells you the best times and places to see the Geminids (no equipment necessary).

Lyrid meteors streak across the sky with silhouetted trees in the foreground and the milky way stretching across the night sky in the background

Lyrid meteor shower 2023: When, where & how to see it

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

Reference The 2023 Lyrid meteor shower will occur between April 16-25 and peak on the night of April 22. A typical shower displays between five and 20 meteors per hour.

several meteors streak across the star-studded sky leaving long white trails across the night sky above a vegetated terrain.

Leonid meteor shower 2022: When, where & how to see it

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

Reference The Leonid meteor shower is active between Nov. 3 and Dec. 2 and will peak on Nov. 18, producing up to 15 meteors per hour.

A bright Taurid meteor descends across a sky featuring a glowing aurora over Lake Simcoe on Nov. 9, 2015

Don't miss the brilliant Taurid meteor shower next week

By Joe Rao published

During a one-week time frame extending from Nov. 5th through Nov. 12, the Taurid meteor shower will be most active.

a dark hole gaping in reddish brown surface with weak white patches around it

NASA's ailing Mars lander feels shockwaves from ice-blasting meteoroid impact

By Meghan Bartels published

Christmas came one day early for a robotic geologist stationed on the Red Planet.

left, four old photographs of young Black men; right top, round black rock; right bottom, stick drawing of a chemical

This Mars meteorite contains a toxin that makes pigs vomit (and humans, too)

By Robert Lea published

The detection of a toxin that makes humans and pigs vomit could solve the lingering 100-year-old mystery surrounding the pristine Martian meteorite nicknamed "Lafayette."

A photo of an Orionid meteor over the ocean on Oct. 21, 2022 at Jekyll Island, GA

The 2022 Orionid meteor shower put on a show for skywatchers around the world (gallery)

By Brett Tingley last updated

The Orionid meteor shower lit up the skies around the world in 2022, and luckily many of our readers were able to catch wonderful images of the "shooting stars."

a rock moving to the lower right corner of the image with dark network in background

Earth's atmosphere could be turned into a giant dark-matter detector

By Robert Lea published

Meteor-hunting methods could be adapted to hunt for dark matter, the mysterious substance that makes up around 85% of the universe's matter but remains invisible.

An illustration of the night sky on Oct. 21 showing the Orionid meteor shower originating from the Orion constellation.

Don't miss the Orionid meteor shower peak tonight (Oct. 21)

By Brett Tingley last updated

The Orionid meteor shower peaks overnight tonight (Oct. 21), so get outside and see some fireballs streak through the atmosphere.

A photograph of the Orionid meteor shower.

The Orionid meteor shower peaks Oct. 21. Here's what to expect

By Joe Rao published

For a few days centered on Oct. 21st each year, the Earth sweeps through a swarm of meteoroids known as the Orionids; widely scattered debris shed by the most famous of all comets, Halley's Comet.

A person stands next to a small yellow tent and holds up a bright light to the sky. Meteors streak across the sky in the background.

Meteor showers 2022: Where, when and how to see them

By Doris Elin Urrutia, Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference Our meteor showers 2022 guide will tell you everything you need to know about upcoming meteor showers, including where and when to see them.

This sky map shows the Draconid meteor shower's radiant, or the point from which the meteors seem to originate.

Draconid meteor shower peaks this weekend under Hunter's Moon

By Brett Tingley last updated

The peak of the Draconid meteor shower, which appears to originate from the constellation Draco, will sadly be outshined by the full Hunter's Moon.

rock in front of photo of earth

Rare dark-streaked meteorites may come from a 'potentially hazardous' asteroid

By Robert Lea published

Strange, dark-veined meteorites rained down on Earth when a fireball exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in February 2013.

A line of light stretches across a star-studded sky next to a little white lighthouse perched on the rocks.

Orionid meteor shower 2022: When, where & how to see it

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

Reference The Orionid meteor shower peaks between Oct. 21 and Oct. 22 and is visible until early November. We explore the annual shower in more detail here.

An animation of the Camelopardalid meteor shower originating from the Camelopardalis, or giraffe, constellation.

See the mysterious October Camelopardalid meteor shower peak tonight (Oct. 6)

By Brett Tingley last updated

The October Camelopardalids are somewhat mysterious in that astronomers aren't quite sure what their origin is.