# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Check out our amazing space and astronomy facts. Learn about all kinds of different space topics that are sure to surprise.

Meteoroid Facts for Kids

Enjoy these great meteoroid, meteor and meteorite facts for kids.

Learn the differences between the terms used to describe them, how fast they travel, how often they make it through Earth's atmosphere and much more.

A meteoroid is a small rock or particle of debris in our solar system. They range in size from dust to around 10 metres in diameter (larger objects are usually referred to as asteroids).

A meteoroid that burns up as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere is known as a meteor. If you've ever looked up at the sky at night and seen a streak of light or 'shooting star' what you are actually seeing is a meteor.

A meteoroid that survives falling through the Earth's atmosphere and colliding with the Earth's surface is known as a meteorite.

The fastest meteoroids travel through the solar system at a speed of around 42 kilometres per second (26 miles per second).

The Earth's atmosphere experiences millions of meteors every day.

Meteors are easier to see during the lower light conditions of night.

A small percentage of meteoroids fly on a path that goes into the Earth's atmosphere and then back out again, they are known as Earth grazing fireballs.

When many meteors occur in a close time frame in the same part of the sky it is called a meteor shower.

Around 500 meteorites reach the Earth's surface every year but of those only around 5 ever make it to scientists for study.

Meteorites that are observed as they fall through the Earth's atmosphere and later recovered are called 'falls', all others are called 'finds'. To this date there have been around 1000 collected 'falls' and 40000 'finds'.

Unsure why a meteoroid is different to meteor, comet or asteroid? Learn the difference between a comet, asteroid, meteoroid, meteor & meteorite.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Meteoroid, Meteor & Meteorite Facts for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out our amazing space and astronomy facts. Learn about all kinds of different space topics that are sure to surprise. Meteoroid Facts for Kids Enjoy these great meteoroid, meteor and meteorite facts for kids. Learn the differences between the terms used to describe them, how fast they travel, how often they make it through Earth's atmosphere and much more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
METEORS | The Dr. Binocs Show | Kids Learning Videos By Peekaboo Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Meteor Hits Russia Feb 15, 2013 - Event Archive

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, the Perseids are perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year; and this year, they'll be the best shower of the year. This year during peak people should see about 60-70 meteors per hour, but in outburst years (such as in 2016) the rate can be between 150-200 meteors an hour. The meteor shower's peak will be visible both the nights of Aug. 11-12 and Aug. 12-13, Cooke said, but he's inclined this year to lean toward the night of Aug. 12-13 for the better show. (Both, however, should be spectacular.)

"This year the moon will be near new moon, it will be a crescent, which means it will set before the Perseid show gets underway after midnight," Cooke told Space.com. "The moon is very favorable for the Perseids this year, and that'll make the Perseids probably the best shower of 2018 for people who want to go out and view it." The Perseids are rich in fireballs, so the show should be even better.

( Live in a big city? Find out how to see the Perseids from urban areas here from our sister site Active Junky.)

Earth will pass through the path of Comet Swift-Tuttle from July 17 to Aug. 24, with the shower's peak - when Earth passes through the densest, dustiest area - occurring on Aug. 12. That means you'll see the most meteors in the shortest amount of time near that peak, but you can still catch some action from the famed meteor shower before or after that point.

The 2017 Perseid meteor shower will peak around 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) on Aug. 12, so the nights of Aug. 11-12 and Aug. 12-13 should see the highest rates. The meteors appear to radiate out of the constellation Perseus, from which they take their name.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

You can see the Perseid meteor shower best in the Northern Hemisphere and down to the mid-southern latitudes, and all you need to catch the show is darkness, somewhere comfortable to sit and a bit of patience.

Comet Swift-Tuttle is the largest object known to repeatedly pass by Earth; its nucleus is about 16 miles (26 kilometers) wide. It last passed nearby Earth during its orbit around the sun in 1992, and the next time will be in 2126. But it won't be forgotten in the meantime, because Earth passes through the dust and debris it leaves behind every year, creating the annual Perseid meteor shower.

When you sit back to watch a meteor shower, you're actually seeing the pieces of comet debris heat up as they enter the atmosphere and burn up in a bright burst of light, streaking a vivid path across the sky as they travel at 37 miles (59 km) per second. When they're in space, the pieces of debris are called "meteoroids," but when they reach Earth's atmosphere, they're designated as "meteors." If a piece makes it all the way down to Earth without burning up, it graduates to "meteorite." Most of the meteors in the Perseids are much too small for that; they're about the size of a grain of sand.

The key to seeing a meteor shower is "to take in as much sky as possible," Cooke said. Go to a dark area, in the suburbs or countryside, and prepare to sit outside for a few hours. It takes about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark, and the longer you wait outside, the more you'll see. A rate of 60-70 meteors per hour, for instance, means around one meteor per minute, including faint streaks along with bright, fireball-generating ones.

Some skywatchers plan to camp out to see the Perseid meteor shower, but at the very least, viewers should bring something comfortable to sit on, some snacks and some bug spray. Then, just relax and look upward for the celestial show.

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Perseid Meteor Shower 2018: When, Where & How to See It

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, the Perseids are perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year; and this year, they'll be the best shower of the year. This year during peak people should see about 60-70 meteors per hour, but in outburst years (such as in 2016) the rate can be between 150-200 meteors an hour.