Meteor

A meteor is the visible passage of a glowing piece of debris as it enters the Earth's atmosphere, commonly known as a shooting star or falling star. The term "meteor" comes from the Greek word meteōros, meaning "high in the air." In Hebrew, a meteor is called מִטְרִיָה (metriyah). In other languages, it is known as météore in French, Meteorit in German, and meteoro in Spanish. Meteors typically occur in the mesosphere, and they are caused by the entry of meteoroids, small particles of matter, into the Earth's atmosphere. These particles can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a boulder. As they enter the atmosphere, they compress the air in front of them, causing it to heat up and glow brightly. This glowing trail is what we see as a meteor. Most meteors disintegrate in the atmosphere, but if a meteor survives to reach the Earth's surface, it is then called a meteorite.