meteor
Burning space debris
A meteor is the streak of light produced when a small piece of space debris burns up entering Earth's atmosphere—commonly called a shooting star or falling star.
The object itself, before it enters the atmosphere, is a meteoroid; if any fragment survives to reach the ground, it becomes a meteorite.
A meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through a trail of debris, producing many visible streaks: We stayed up to watch the Perseid meteor shower.
Luminous meteor or explosion
- streakUnbroken series
- glowSteady, soft light
- trailPath through wilderness
- plasmaElectrified matter state
incandescence · luminosity · flash · ablation · burnup · ionization · friction · entry
Downward slope or lineage
- plummetRapid downward descent
- fallDescend under gravity
- dropFall or release
- gravityMutual mass attraction
impact · crater · trajectory · arc · velocity · speed · rapid · flash
Sun-orbiting rocky mass
- cometIcy orbiting body
- debrisScattered broken fragments
- space rockExtraterrestrial geological fragment
- ironElement twenty-six
nickel · chondrite · micrometeorite · fragment · cosmic · interplanetary · orbital · solar system
Passing very quickly
- momentaryLasting very briefly
- briefShort in duration
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
passing · short-lived · evanescent · vanishing · flash · instant · blink · glimpse
Sign of future calamity
- omenProphetic indicator
- harbingerOne who foreshadows
- signMark conveying information
- auguryOmen interpretation practice
presage · prophecy · forewarning · precursor · herald · foreshadowing · foreboding · warning
fireball
Luminous meteor or explosion
plasma · incandescence · luminosity · flash · ablation · burnup · ionization · friction · entry · reentry
descent
Downward slope or lineage
gravity · impact · crater · trajectory · arc · velocity · speed · rapid · flash · sudden
asteroid
Sun-orbiting rocky mass
- cometIcy orbiting body
- debrisScattered broken fragments
- space rockExtraterrestrial geological fragment
iron · nickel · chondrite · micrometeorite · fragment · cosmic · interplanetary · orbital · solar system · nucleus
fleeting
Passing very quickly
ephemeral · passing · short-lived · evanescent · vanishing · flash · instant · blink · glimpse · temporary
portent
Sign of future calamity
augury · presage · prophecy · forewarning · precursor · herald · foreshadowing · foreboding · warning · premonition
- astronomystars, moon, sun, planet, planets
- Nightmoon, stars, moonlight, starlight, midnight
- night skystars, moon, constellations, shooting stars, constellation
- outer spacesun, moon, planet, star system, solar system
- celestialsun, moon, stars, planet, planets
- space objectsgalaxy, star cluster, nebula, planet, quasar
meteorstar
Luminous astronomical object
fixed star · sun · planet · Polaris · North Star
- meteor showerBurst of falling stars
- meteor impactExtraterrestrial object striking surface
- meteor strikeExtraterrestrial object hitting surface
- meteor burstCelestial fragment's fiery entry
- meteorite impactsSpace rocks hitting planetary surfaces
- iron meteoriteMetallic body from space
meteoric, meteors, meteorite, meteoroid, meteorology, meteorological, meteoroids, meteor showers, meteor shower