Meteors and Meteorites
At night, when the sky is clear and the moon is not there, you may sometimes see bright streaks of light in the sky . These are commonly known as shooting stars, although they are not stars. They are called meteors. A meteor is usually a small object that occasionally enters the earth’s atmosphere. At that time it has a very high speed. The friction due to the atmosphere heats it up. It glows and evaporates quickly. That is why the bright steak lasts for a very short time.Some meteors are large so that they can reach the Earth before they evaporate completely. The body that reaches the Earth is called a meteorite. Meteorites help scientists in investigating the nature of the material from which the solar system was formed.
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Stars and the Solar System - Notes
15. Some Other Members of the Solar System
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