Multiple choice

What causes a shooting star?

  1. a meteor in the troposphere

  2. a meteor in the mesosphere

  3. a comet in the stratosphere

  4. a comet in the thermosphere
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Shooting stars are meteors burning up as they enter Earth's atmosphere. This friction and burning typically occur in the mesosphere, which is dense enough to cause friction but high enough for meteors to first encounter significant resistance.

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