Have you ever wished on a shooting star? Did you know that you are wishing on a rock and not a star? A shooting star is a small rock that gets close to Earth. The rock is moving so fast that it burns brightly. So, when you see a shooting star it’s the hot air that is glowing behind the space rock.
As Earth revolves around the Sun, it sometimes passes through groups of rocks. These space rocks are called meteoroids. When a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere, it is called a meteor. A meteor is another name for a shooting star. A meteor shower is when there are more meteors in the sky than normal. Some meteor showers occur at certain times of the year.
A well-known meteor shower is happening this month! Perseid meteor showers start in July. The meteor shower lasts until the end of August. The best time to see watch meteor showers is between midnight and dawn when the sky is the darkest.
What Can You Do? If possible, make a plan with your parent or guardian to go out and look for shooting stars!
Reading Response Click on this link to respond to your reading. Print out the response page or upload it to your classroom site.
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