Friction. As solid bodies pass into the atmosphere, the friction of the atmosphere passing over the surface heats them up. A common byproduct of heat is light. Those bodies that fall into the atmosphere that do not have a controlled descent, burn up. Those that are large enough to survive, or that do have a controlled descent, will contact the surface.
meteor
Meteor. And if it lands it is called a Meteorite.
A meteor IS a what you call a body of matter when it enters earth's atmosphere. A meteoroid is what you call a body of matter in space that hasn't entered earth's atmosphere. Source: Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/meteor
A meteoroid is a rock in space. If it strikes the earth's atmosphere, it will create a meteor, which is a streak of light in the sky. If the meteoroid was large enough, it may reach the ground. Once it has hit the ground it is called a meteorite.
A meteoroid is space debris that is made up of rock. A meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up is called a meteor. A meteorite is a meteor that survives the fall through Earth's atmosphere.
"Meteor" does.
The streak of light created by a meteoroid entering the Earth's atmosphere is called a meteor. A meteorite is the remains of a meteoroid that did not vaporize after entering the Earth's atmosphere.
meteor
A meteor or comet
Meteor. And if it lands it is called a Meteorite.
Meteor. And if it lands it is called a Meteorite.
The bright streak of light is the meteoroid burning up in the atmosphere due to friction from its extreme velocity. If the meteoroid completely burns up, it is called a meteor; if part of it makes it to the ground, it is called a meteorite.
A meteor IS a what you call a body of matter when it enters earth's atmosphere. A meteoroid is what you call a body of matter in space that hasn't entered earth's atmosphere. Source: Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/meteor
The streak of light across the sky caused when a space rock falls through the atmosphere and is heated to incandescence is a "meteor".
A meteor or a shooting star. If the object isn't completeley vaporized and survives to reach the ground, it becomes a meterorite.
A meteoroid is a rock in space. If it strikes the earth's atmosphere, it will create a meteor, which is a streak of light in the sky. If the meteoroid was large enough, it may reach the ground. Once it has hit the ground it is called a meteorite.
When a meteoroid enters the earths atmosphere it is usually travelling very fast, fast enough to encounter great friction against the small amounts of gas at that height, so much so that is burns up under the heat generated. At that point it becomes very bright and visible to observers on earth, it is reffered to as a meteor or shooting star during the very breif burn phase.