When a meteor enters Earth's atmosphere and reaches Earth's surface, they are known as meteorites. They are also called falling stars or shooting stars .
Most meteors burn up in space before they reach the earth.
Some meteors have fallen to earth and made large holes. A meteor crater in Arizona was created by a meteorite that may have struck the earth about 49,000 years ago. The Barringer Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona is 1.2 kilometers across and 200 meters deep.