Question
A meteor looks like a streak of light in the night sky. What actually is a meteor
Answers
GPT-4o mini
A meteor is the visible phenomenon that occurs when a meteoroid—a small fragment of a comet or an asteroid—enters the Earth's atmosphere at high speed. As the meteoroid descends, it experiences intense friction with the air, causing it to heat up and produce a bright streak of light. This luminous path is what we commonly refer to as a "shooting star" or meteor.
If the meteoroid survives its passage through the atmosphere and reaches the Earth's surface, it is then classified as a meteorite. Most meteoroids are small, and while many enter the atmosphere every day, most burn up completely before reaching the ground, resulting in the brief flashes of light that we see.
If the meteoroid survives its passage through the atmosphere and reaches the Earth's surface, it is then classified as a meteorite. Most meteoroids are small, and while many enter the atmosphere every day, most burn up completely before reaching the ground, resulting in the brief flashes of light that we see.