What happens to meteoroids when they fall into Earth’s atmosphere?

When meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere, they experience extreme friction with the air as they travel at very high speeds. This friction generates heat, causing the meteoroids to glow brightly as they burn up in the atmosphere. The result of this process is the visible streak of light commonly referred to as a meteor, or shooting star.

This transformation is distinct from other celestial bodies. Meteoroids do not become asteroids or comets, as those classifications are defined by specific characteristics and locations in space. Asteroids are larger objects found primarily in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, while comets are icy bodies that develop tails when they approach the sun. Additionally, it's not accurate to say that they disappear completely; most meteoroids do burn up, but some may survive their journey through the atmosphere and land on Earth as meteorites.

In summary, when meteoroids fall into Earth's atmosphere, they light up and are identified as meteors due to the intense heating and illumination caused by atmospheric friction.