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A '''meteor''' is a ''[[meteoroid]]'' (a small rocky object in space) that has entered the Earth's atmosphere. Friction causes it to burn in the atmosphere, causing the meteor to glow brightly. For this reason, a meteor is often referred to as a "shooting star" or "falling star". Most meteors are small and burn up in less than a second, but some very large ones glow brightly for many seconds and are called "fireballs" or "bolides." (See also [[Asteroid]]).
A '''meteor''' is a ''[[meteoroid]]'' (a small rocky object in space) that has entered the Earth's atmosphere. Friction causes it become burning in the atmosphere, causing the meteor to glow brightly. For this reason, a meteor is often referred to as a "shooting star" or "falling star". Most meteors are small and burn up in less than a second, but some very large ones glow brightly for many seconds and are called "fireballs" or "bolides." (See also [[Asteroid]]).
An exceptionally large meteor may not burn up completely in the atmosphere. If part of a meteor hits the ground, it becomes known as a ''[[meteorite]]''.
An exceptionally large meteor may not burn up completely in the atmosphere. If part of a meteor hits the ground, it becomes known as a ''[[meteorite]]''.
There are currently several hundred known [[asteroid]]s, called Apollo asteroids, that are in Earth-crossing orbits.
There are currently several hundred known [[asteroid]]s, called Apollo asteroids, that are in Earth-crossing orbits.
==Meteors and asteroids==
==Asteroid belts==
Meteors are smaller than asteroids, a distinction that may seem arbitrary.
Meteors are asteroids or pieces of them, which mostly come from one of the two asteroid belts in the [[Solar System]].
A large cluster of asteroids lies at the outskirts of our solar system and is known as the [[Kuiper Belt]].
A large cluster of asteroids lies at the outskirts of our solar system and is known as the [[Kuiper Belt]], another one is the [[Asteroid belt]] between [[Mars]] and [[Jupiter]].
==Culture and History==
==Culture and History==