When small pieces of rock fall from space during a meteor shower, they are called meteoroids. The fate of these meteoroids depends on various factors such as their size, composition, velocity, and angle of entry into Earth's atmosphere. Here's what typically happens to meteoroids during a meteor shower:
Entry into Earth's Atmosphere: As meteoroids enter the Earth's atmosphere, they experience intense friction due to the rapid compression of air in front of them. This friction heats up the meteoroids, causing them to glow and create the streaks of light known as meteors or shooting stars.
Atmospheric Heating and Disintegration: Most meteoroids are relatively small and composed of fragile materials such as rock or metal. Due to the intense heat generated by atmospheric entry, the outer layers of the meteoroid vaporize and create a glowing trail of ionized gas behind the meteor. The meteoroid itself undergoes rapid ablation, where it loses mass and disintegrates into smaller fragments.
Atmospheric Burnup: The combination of atmospheric heating and disintegration causes many meteoroids to completely burn up before reaching the Earth's surface. The remaining fragments, if any, may be too small to survive the atmospheric passage or burn up completely.
Meteorite Survivors: Occasionally, larger and more robust meteoroids can survive the atmospheric passage and reach the Earth's surface. These surviving fragments are then called meteorites. Meteorites are valuable scientific specimens as they provide insights into the composition and origin of objects in our solar system. They are typically found and recovered in areas where they impact the Earth's surface, such as deserts, ice fields, or remote regions.
It's important to note that meteor showers consist of numerous meteoroids, but most of them are relatively small and burn up completely during atmospheric entry. The few larger meteoroids that survive the journey and become meteorites are relatively rare.