What is a Shooting Star?

Shooting stars, also called meteors, are objects in space that burn up as they encounter Earth’s atmosphere. Shooting stars occur when pieces of space debris enter the upper atmosphere, creating a bright streak of light in the night sky. Scientists call them meteoroids. Though the stunning light show appears to originate from a single point in the sky, it is actually the result of the piece of space debris striking the atmosphere at high speeds and burning up.

The Science Behind Shooting Stars

When meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere, they are subject to intense friction caused by the high speed at which they travel. This intense friction causes the debris to heat up and ionize, meaning that the particles become electrically charged. These electrically charged particles create a bright glow, like a streak of light, as the meteoroid passes through the atmosphere. As this happens, the object continues to burn until it is completely vaporized or until the friction decreases to a point where the object is no longer affected.

Shooting Star Superstition

Shooting stars are not just a beautiful natural phenomenon, but also a phenomenon steeped in old superstition. Since ancient times, humans have associated shooting stars with wishing and good luck. The superstition states that a wish made while seeing a shooting star will come true. People often make a wish before the star disappears and make a sign of the cross after making the wish in order to seal it. People also commonly refer to shooting stars as “falling stars,” which the Romans believed were gods falling to the Earth, lending to the mystery and awe of these objects.

Though making a wish on a shooting star has likely been occurring since they were first seen in the night sky, there is no evidence to suggest that these wishes are more likely to come true. Still, the sight of a fleeting shooting star sure is breathtaking, and why not take the opportunity to make a wish as it swirls across the night sky?