Shooting Stars and Space Rocks

Meteors, or shooting stars, are among the night sky’s most captivating phenomena. You’ve probably been startled by a bright meteor streaking across the night sky and wondered, “Did that land somewhere?” Yes, sometimes they do wind up on Earth’s surface. In fact, in an average year more than 17,000 meteorites the size of golf balls or larger—more than 18 tons in all—fall somewhere on our planet.

Yet few people understand what these space rocks are, where they come from, or how often they hit the ground. Kelly Beatty, senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine, provides an introductory overview of meteors and meteorites. He discusses the difference between a true meteorite and a “meteor-wrong” and traces how these bodies make their way here from the depths of interplanetary space. He also offers tips on where, when, and how to watch for annual meteor showers such as the Perseids and Leonids

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