A shooting star isn’t really a star, it’s usually a small piece of rock or dust burning up as it hits the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed. As the rock moves through the atmosphere it heats up and glows.
Is a Shooting Star a Meteor?
Yes, astronomers call shooting stars meteors. They mostly burn up in the atmosphere and don’t reach the ground, but if they are big enough parts can survive and reach the surface of the Earth. They are then called a meteorite! As about 70% of the Earth’s surface is ocean, most meteorites land in the ocean!
What is a Meteoroid?
A Meteoroid is the name given to the rock or dust while it’s travelling through space.
What is a Meteor Shower?
A meteor shower is when lots of meteors can be seen in the sky at the same time. Meteor showers originate from dust and rocky debris left behind by comets. When the Earth passes through the comet dust we see it as shooting stars.
As the comet debris trails and the Earth’s orbit are fixed in space we can see the same meteor showers at similar times each year.
The Perseids Shower is seen around August 11-13 from the Comet Swift-Tuttle.
The Orionids Shower is seen around October 21-22 from Halley’s Comet.
The Leonids Shower is seen around November 17-18 from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
The Geminids Shower is seen around December 13-14 from the Asteroid 3200 Phaethon.
Meteor Science Activities
Find out how craters form with a fun activity using marbles. This is a great way to compare how impact speeds affect the size of the crater.
Crater Science Investigation
Download my FREE Crater Science Investigation. All you need is a tray, flour, cocoa powder and some different sized balls.
Last Updated on September 28, 2026 by Emma Vanstone
