Which term is a streak of light in the sky produced by the burning of a meteoroid in Earth's atmosphere?

• A. Comet
• B. Meteor
• C. Asteroid
• D. Planet

Answer: (B)

A meteor is a streak of light in the sky produced by a meteoroid burning up as it speeds through Earth’s atmosphere. The friction heats the rock and dust, causing it to glow and often create a bright, short-lived trail, sometimes called a shooting star. If any piece makes it to the ground, it’s called a meteorite.

The other terms refer to different celestial things: a comet is a body of ice and dust that forms a glowing coma and sometimes a tail when warmed by the Sun; an asteroid is a rocky object mostly found in space, such as in the asteroid belt; a planet is a large body that orbits a star and doesn’t produce the burning streak seen in Earth’s atmosphere.