What happens when a star falls?
What happens when a star falls? First of all, what exactly is a falling star? A falling star is called a meteor and is not actually a falling star. A meteor is space debris that enters the earths atmosphere. If the meteor were to hit the earth then it would be a meteorite.
Most meteors don't make it to the earths surface because most meteors are small enough for the particles to burn up before they hit the earth's surface. They burn up because of the friction in the air and the high velocity that the meteor goes through while entering the earth's atmosphere. Because of the air friction, the meteor loses some of it's initial kinetic energy and heat is given off and you see the tail of the meteor.
When a lot of meteors fall at once, it is called a meteor shower. This can occur when the earth passes through a bunch of space debris from the tail end of a comet. Meteor showers can last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Most of the particles that fall through the atmosphere are relatively small.
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