A meteor refers to a meteoroid moving through interstellar space that is usually comprised of cosmic dust. As it approaches Earth, its orbit is perturbed by Earth’s gravitational pull and it enters Earth’s atmosphere. Heat is produced due to the high speeds and compression of matter with Earth’s atmosphere, with ionization of surface matter resulting in dazzling blue light. Before reaching Earth’s surface, most meteors burn up, with only a few making impact and becoming known as meteorites. Most visible meteoroids weigh less than 1 gram, similar to that of a sand grain. A meteor enters Earth’s atmosphere at around 10 km/s. People often attach meaning to this natural phenomenon, such as the tradition of wishing upon a falling star.