Meteor

A meteor is a kind of stone that falls from the sky. The ancient Greeks believed that the stones were Zeus's thunderbolts. A famous quote by Thomas Jefferson:

"I would sooner believe that two Yankee professors lied, than that stones fell from the sky."[1]

However, true Christians know that God can make stones fall from the sky if He so chooses, so we should not be surprised at these events. Scientists tell us that between Mars and Jupiter lies an enormous cluster of meteors, known as the asteroid belt. It is the Earth's passing through this belt and others like it that causes periodic meteor showers such as the Perseiids, Geminids, and Taurids.

Strictly speaking, "meteors" are stones that are falling through the sky (aka "fireballs"). When they hit the ground, they become known as "meteoroids." However, not many people bother to make this technical distinction. Even some textbooks get it wrong.