What causes shooting stars?

Shooting stars are not stars but meteoroids that enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds. As they travel, friction with atmospheric gases heats them up, causing them to glow and create a streak of light. Most shooting stars burn up completely before reaching the ground, but larger ones may survive and become meteorites. Shooting stars are more common during meteor showers, which occur when Earth passes through the debris trail of a comet. These events offer spectacular displays for stargazers.