But even more modestly sized objects are well worth attention. A celestial object of unknown origin exploded just above the ground at Tunguska in central Siberia in 1908. ReVelle calaculates that, on average, a Tunguska-sized object probably can be expected to enter the atmosphere every 120 years or so. A Rock's Path. What happens to a meteroid once it approaches and enters the atmosphere.
Meteoroid approaches the atmosphere.
Once inside the atmosphere the object, now called a meteor, is heated by friction and appears as a glowing streak of light. Some meteors become so intensely heated that they appear as a fireball in the sky. The streak eventually dissipates and the meteor flies through the dark before it hits the surface. Since 1960, here are the spots above the Earth where meteors were first detected entering the atmosphere. The Impact How much energy is released by various sizes of meteors entering the atmosphere.