Meteor
A meteor is the streak of light you see when a meteoroid burns up in Earth's air.
A meteor is not a rock at all. It is the flash of light made when a meteoroid, a small space rock, plunges into Earth's atmosphere. People often call meteors shooting stars, but they have nothing to do with real stars.
Meteoroids hit the air very fast, between about 11 and 72 kilometres every second. That squashes the air in front of them so hard that the air and the rock's surface get extremely hot and glow. Most meteors light up roughly 80 to 120 kilometres above the ground and last less than a second. Nearly all of them come from grains smaller than a pea, which burn away completely.
The best time to spot meteors is during a meteor shower, such as the Perseids each August or the Geminids each December. Find a dark place away from street lights, lie back with a grown-up, and let your eyes get used to the dark for about 20 minutes. You do not need a telescope, just patience and a wide view of the sky.
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Level: Beginner Ages 7 and up