Meteors are streaks of light in the sky caused by bits of comet dust disintegrating in our atmosphere. Cometary dust particles are called meteoroids. The streak of light is called a meteor. Meteoroids are typically very small and light. They are smaller than grains of sand and weigh even less.
Comets are balls of dirty mineral-laden ice that orbit the sun.
They are about the size of asteroids. When comets pass close to the sun, they begin to evaporate and leave behind a trail of gas and dust. The dusty trail, also called a meteoroid stream, also orbits the sun. When the earth passes through a stream of meteoroids, we have a meteor shower. Discuss the background information with the students.