Shooting for Shooting Stars
Thursday, April 8, 2010 - 18:35
in Astronomy & Space
(PhysOrg.com) -- You know them as "shooting stars," or meteors. Space scientists know them as the fiery end of tiny visitors from space. Those momentary streaks of light across the night sky are nothing more than small to almost-microscopic pieces of space debris whose trip through the void has ended in a kamikaze run into Earth's atmosphere. Of course, with 100 tons of space rock and rubble bombarding the planet each and every day, you'd think you could stick your head out the window any night of the week and easily catch a glimpse of a space rock's final moments.