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How does a meteoroid become a meteor in Earth’s atmosphere?

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asteroid Ida and its satellite, Dactyl — Small body Asteroid Ida and its satellite, Dactyl, photographed by the Galileo spacecraft on August 28, 1993, from a distance of about 10,870 km (6,750 miles). Ida is about 56 km (35 miles) long and shows the irregular shape and impact craters characteristic of many asteroids. The Galileo image revealed that Ida is accompanied by a tiny companion about 1.5 km (1 mile) wide, the first proof that some asteroids have natural satellites.

A meteoroid becomes a meteor when it enters Earth’s atmosphere at high velocities, typically ranging from 11.2 km per second to as high as 72 km per second.12

As the meteoroid travels through the atmosphere, it undergoes an energetic collision with atmospheric atoms and molecules. This interaction creates friction that slows the object down, converting its kinetic energy into heat. This process, known as frictional heating, causes the surface of the meteoroid to melt and vaporize while simultaneously ionizing the surrounding atmospheric gas. The resulting excitation of these atoms produces a luminous region that we observe as a streak of light, commonly called a meteor or "shooting star".12

Most meteoroids are destroyed during this process through ablation or fragmentation caused by aerodynamic pressure. If a portion of the object survives this fiery passage and reaches the ground, it is then classified as a meteorite.12