What do you call shooting star fragments?

Answer 1

"Shooting stars" or "falling stars" are common names for meteors, falling debris that was originally part of a comet. Meteors travel at thousands of miles per hour. When they enter the Earth's atmosphere, they ignite and burn, leaving a trail of light that literally looks like a falling star. Most meteors disintegrate before they reach Earth.

When you see a lot of meteors falling over a short period of time, it's called a meteor shower. This occurs when the Earth passes through a field of meteoroids shed by a comet orbiting the sun. Astronomers are able to predict times and date of upcoming showers because they track the comets' and Earth's orbits.

Showers are named for the constellation from which they appear to fall (remove the -ids suffix for the actual name of the constellation, except Leo and Gemini).

2009 Meteor Showers

Name.................................Date

Quadrantids.........................January 3, morning

Lyrids..................................April 21/22, night

Eta Aquarids........................May 5

Perseids...............................August 12, evening

Orionids...............................October 21, morning

Leonids................................November 17/18, overnight and into morning

Geminids.............................December 13/14, night

Answer 2

Shooting star fragments are known as meteoriods. If it burns up in the atmosphere it is known as a meteor and if it reaches the ground it is known as a meteorite.

Answer 3

Well, shooting stars are actually big balls of hot gas. which is a comet. So the best term for a shooting star would be comet.