Blast Through the ASVAB General Science Challenge 2026 – Unlock Your Science Superpowers!

When meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere and begin to burn due to friction with air particles, they create a bright streak of light that is commonly referred to as a meteor. This phenomenon is often popularly known as a "shooting star" or a "falling star." The intense heat generated as the meteoroid travels through the atmosphere causes it to glow and emit light, which is the observable event that we see from the Earth's surface.

The term "meteor" specifically relates to the stage where the object is actively traveling through the atmosphere. If the meteoroid survives its passage and lands on the Earth's surface, it is then classified as a meteorite. This distinction highlights the different stages of a small celestial object's journey as it transitions from its initial state in space, to becoming a meteor, and potentially ending as a meteorite if it successfully reaches the ground.