Meteoroids are usually smaller than a grain of sand. Some meteoroids are bigger but most are tiny. Meteoroids hit the Earth's atmosphere at super high speed, sometimes faster than 90,000 miles per hour. The dust speck that burns up is called a meteoroid. The flash of light is called a meteor.
Meteors usually last just a second or two.
Sometimes, there are meteor showers. The heavens are a black theater for an amazing display of silent fireworks. It is exciting to watch all these meteors shoot through the dark sky. There are so many that if you watch with a friend, you will both see them. Scientists also watch these meteors and record the numbers, the brightness, and the paths of these beautiful fireworks of nature.