Meteor

space · sky · shooting star

Not really stars. Even though we call them shooting stars, meteors are actually small bits of space rock or dust, not stars at all.

Glowing hot. As a meteor races through the air, it crashes into air molecules so fast that it heats up and glows brightly.

Way up high. Meteors usually light up between about 76 and 100 kilometres above the ground, in a layer of air called the mesosphere.

An ancient name. The word 'meteor' comes from a Greek word meaning 'high in the air.'