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When a meteor enters the Earth's atmosphere, a bright streak of light is seen because of the heat generation . This heat generation is caused by friction between the air molecules in the atmosphere and the meteor.

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βˆ™ 10y ago
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βˆ™ 5mo ago

The bright streak in the sky, known as a meteor, is caused when a meteoroid (small rock from space) enters Earth's atmosphere at high speed, creating friction with the air. This friction heats up and vaporizes the meteoroid, creating a glowing trail of light that we see streaking across the sky.

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βˆ™ 13y ago

It is a meteor in the sky, and a meteorite when (if) it lands. The bright light is mainly the ablation of hot material from the meteor.

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βˆ™ 12y ago

The meteroid is burning up, like you said, so the light behind it is just the material of the meteoroid burning.

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Q: What causes the bright streak in the sky known as a meteor?
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What causes a merteroid to become a meterite?

When a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere, the intense heat and pressure cause it to burn up, creating a bright streak known as a meteor. If any part of the meteoroid survives and lands on Earth, it is then called a meteorite.


What do you call rock that enters earths atmosphere?

A rock that enters Earth's atmosphere is commonly called a meteoroid. As it burns up in the atmosphere and produces a bright streak of light, it is known as a meteor. If any fragments of the rock survive the journey and land on Earth's surface, they are called meteorites.


What are the small pieces of rock that enter earths atmosphere at speeds of 15 to 70 k's and burn up called?

They are called meteoroids when they enter Earth's atmosphere. As they pass through the atmosphere, friction causes them to heat up and produce a bright streak of light, known as a meteor. If any part of the meteoroid survives and lands on Earth, it is then called a meteorite.


What are the small fragments that have entered the earth's atmosphere and fallen to the surface?

Those small fragments are known as meteoroids. When they enter the Earth's atmosphere, they produce a bright streak of light, known as a meteor or shooting star. If the meteoroid survives the journey through the atmosphere and lands on Earth, it is called a meteorite.


What is an interplanetary material that falls in to earths atmosphere?

An interplanetary material that falls into Earth's atmosphere is called a meteoroid. When it enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up due to friction with air molecules, it creates a bright streak of light known as a meteor. If the meteoroid survives and lands on Earth's surface, it is then referred to as a meteorite.

Related questions

A meteroid bright streaks are called what?

They are called meteors. The particle making the bright streak of light that are known as a meteor, is a meteoroid. When it lands on the ground it is called a meteorite.


What causes a merteroid to become a meterite?

When a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere, the intense heat and pressure cause it to burn up, creating a bright streak known as a meteor. If any part of the meteoroid survives and lands on Earth, it is then called a meteorite.


Does a asteroid appear as a streak in the sky?

Yes, when an asteroid enters Earth's atmosphere and impacts the surface, it can create a streak of light known as a meteor. This occurs due to the asteroid burning up as it meets resistance from the atmosphere, causing it to produce a bright trail through the sky.


Do meteors have a atmosphere?

Meteors themselves do not have an atmosphere. They are objects that enter the Earth's atmosphere, where they burn up due to friction with the air. The bright streak of light that is produced is known as a meteor or shooting star.


What do you call rock that enters earths atmosphere?

A rock that enters Earth's atmosphere is commonly called a meteoroid. As it burns up in the atmosphere and produces a bright streak of light, it is known as a meteor. If any fragments of the rock survive the journey and land on Earth's surface, they are called meteorites.


What is the life expectancy of a meteor?

The life expectancy of a meteor is typically short, lasting only a few seconds to minutes as it travels through Earth's atmosphere. Once it enters the atmosphere, it burns up due to the intense heat and friction, creating the bright streak of light known as a meteor.


Space debris that burns up in the earths atmosphere?

Space debris that burns up in the Earth's atmosphere is known as a meteor or shooting star. When debris from space enters the Earth's atmosphere, friction causes it to heat up and create a bright streak of light as it vaporizes. Most of this debris disintegrates before reaching the Earth's surface.


This is a space rock that is passing through the atmosphere?

The space rock passing through the atmosphere is likely a meteoroid. As it enters Earth's atmosphere, it heats up due to friction, creating a bright streak of light known as a meteor or shooting star. If the rock survives the entry and lands on Earth, it becomes a meteorite.


What are the small pieces of rock that enter earths atmosphere at speeds of 15 to 70 k's and burn up called?

They are called meteoroids when they enter Earth's atmosphere. As they pass through the atmosphere, friction causes them to heat up and produce a bright streak of light, known as a meteor. If any part of the meteoroid survives and lands on Earth, it is then called a meteorite.


What happens to asteroids when they enter the earths atmosphere?

When asteroids enter Earth's atmosphere, they start to burn up due to friction with air molecules. This causes them to create a bright streak known as a meteor or shooting star. If they are large enough to survive the entry, they may impact the ground as meteorites.


What are the small fragments that have entered the earth's atmosphere and fallen to the surface?

Those small fragments are known as meteoroids. When they enter the Earth's atmosphere, they produce a bright streak of light, known as a meteor or shooting star. If the meteoroid survives the journey through the atmosphere and lands on Earth, it is called a meteorite.


What is a solar system object that enters Earth's atmosphere and becomes very hot due to friction between the object and Earth's atmosphere?

A meteoroid is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space. When it enters Earth's atmosphere, it is known as a meteor and starts to burn up due to friction, creating a bright streak of light in the sky. If a meteor survives the journey through the atmosphere and lands on Earth's surface, it is called a meteorite.