Meteors, often referred to as shooting stars, are bright streaks of light that occur when meteoroids enter the Earth's atmosphere at high speeds. As these small rocky or metallic bodies burn up due to friction with the air, they create a dazzling display that can be seen from the ground. Most meteors are tiny, no larger than a grain of sand, but they can produce spectacular fireballs when they are larger. If a meteoroid survives its fiery passage and lands on Earth, it is then called a meteorite. These celestial events are not only beautiful but also provide valuable information about the solar system's formation and composition.