Meteors

=Meteors= Meteors, commonly know as shooting starts, are bits of material falling through Earth's atmosphere. The friction from the air creates a bright glow know as incandescence. The bright light trails as they are coming through the Earth's atmosphere are termed meteors, and these chunks as they are hurtling through space are called meteoroids. Large pieces that do not vaporize completely and reach the surface of the Earth are termed meteorites.

=History of Meteors= Meteors can be dated back to billions of years ago. Scientists estimate that 1,000 tons to more than 10,000 tons of meteoric material falls on the Earth each day. However, most of this material is very tiny. Each culture has a different perspective of what a falling meteor means to them and their soceity. Some cultures believes that when they see one, they must pick up a rock, or lift their collar in order to catch the good luck. If a person is to see three in one day, they have death waiting for them in their future.

=Application of Meteors= Meteors are not actually used for a specific thing other than research and studies. When a meteor is discovered, scientist and researchers still use them to expand their knowledge of what the universe around us holds. Most meteoric samples are either iron, stoney, or a combination of the two. New discoveries are happening everyday, such as pieces of DNA on a meteor. Some of the discoveries are rising questions such as, Is there life outside of Earth?

=References=
 * 1) Beiser, A. (1988). //Physical Science (2nd Edition) //. New York, NY: McGraw Hill
 * 2) Herzer, Harry B. "Planets: Meteors & Meteorites: Overview." //Solar System Exploration //. NASA. Web. 13 Dec. 2011.
 * 3) Anne Springs Library

This WikiPage developed by Richmond Pierce 2011FA