Have you ever seen a shooting star or a meteor shower? They’re some of the coolest things to watch in the night sky! Those bright streaks of light are called meteors, and they happen when tiny pieces of dust or rock from space zoom into Earth’s atmosphere. They move so fast that they get really hot and burn up, creating the light we see.
Don’t worry, meteor showers aren’t dangerous. Once the dust or rock burns up, it’s gone. Meteor showers are beautiful and special to watch.
Sometimes, bigger rocks from space, called asteroids, can hit Earth. If a rock is big enough, not all of it burns up in the atmosphere. Each year, about 30 bigger pieces make it through, but many land in remote places or the ocean, so we don’t see them. When people do find them, they’re called meteorites, and you can see some in museums.
A long time ago, a huge asteroid hit Earth, about 65 million years ago. It was about 10 kilometers (or 6 miles) wide! Scientists think this impact caused many dinosaurs to go extinct. The asteroid created a giant crater, which is still in Mexico today.
The Moon is covered in craters because it doesn’t have an atmosphere like Earth. Rocks that hit the Moon don’t burn up; they crash into the surface and make craters. Since the Moon doesn’t have things like trees or water to cover them, we can easily see all those craters.
There’s no need to worry about a big asteroid hitting Earth anytime soon. Astronomers, who are scientists that study space, use telescopes to keep track of asteroids. They know where these space rocks are going and can tell that none are heading towards Earth.
Want to see how craters are made? You can do a fun experiment at home! Here’s what you’ll need:
Here’s how to do it:
When the object hits the flour, it creates a crater, just like on Earth or the Moon! Try using different objects and dropping them from different heights to see what kinds of craters you can make. If you try this experiment, ask a grown-up to help you share your results with us!
