Why shooting stars aren’t stars at all: Understanding meteors, meteorites, and meteor showers

Witnessing a meteor, or "shooting star," is a dazzling event caused by tiny space rocks burning up in Earth's atmosphere. These celestial fragments, originating from comets or asteroids, offer crucial insights into the early Solar System. Astronomers distinguish between meteoroids (in space), meteors (burning in the atmosphere), and meteorites (those that land on Earth).