A bright streak in the night sky may be a meteor. It happens when a small object enters the atmosphere at high speed. That object was a meteoroid while in space. A piece that survives to the ground is a meteorite. The names describe different parts of the story.
Space · Discover & try
Is a shooting star really a star?
Reading level 1 of 5 · EarlyChange
Word help
Meteoroid
A small rocky or metallic body in space.
Meteor
The visible phenomenon produced during high-speed atmospheric entry.
Meteorite
Material that survives atmospheric passage and reaches a surface.
Watch · Try · Explain
See how it works
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Original schematic sequences; sizes, entry speeds and paths are illustrative, not an impact prediction.
What to look for
- Identify the environment around the object.
- Follow the change from space to atmosphere to ground.
- Compare a comet tail with the direction of sunlight.
Explain what you noticed
A researcher finds a fragment on the ground after a recorded fireball. What is the recovered material called?
Keep this idea: A meteor is the light-producing atmospheric event, not a distant star falling.
Follow the sources
Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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