falling star

I’ve heard that shooting stars are caused by tiny fragments of ice and rock entering Earth’s atmosphere from space, where they heat up due to friction with the air and glow. They enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds ranging from 10 to several tens of kilometers per second and burn up at an altitude of about 70 kilometers above the ground. The friction with Earth’s atmosphere and the speed at which they enter—these involve such immense energy that humans cannot experience or even imagine—and this often makes me feel a sense of wonder and admiration for science and the universe.