It is estimated that about a billion meteors enter the Earth's atmosphere every day at speeds ranging between 10 and 45 miles per second. When the meteors zoom through the atmosphere at such high speeds, the friction of the atmosphere on the meteor is great enough to cause the meteor to begin to burn, making it visible to observers on the ground.

Most meteors burn up before they hit the Earth's surface; those that do make it to the ground are called "meteorites.” Even though most meteorites are tiny, they are so numerous that they contribute several tons of material to the Earth's surface each day.

A meteor that is especially bright and lasts for a long time is called a "fireball.” The largest fireball ever recorded occurred in 1908 over Tunguska Basin in Siberia and, although it did not leave a crater, was responsible for the destruction of 770 square miles of forest.

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