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How long does a typical meteor remain visible in the sky?

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Meteor and meteoroid The Cabin Creek meteorite, an iron (nickel-iron alloy) meteorite that was observed to fall in northwestern Arkansas on March 27, 1886. Its characteristic pattern of “thumbprint” dimples, or regmaglypts, is the result of melting and consequent ablation of its surface as it traveled through the atmosphere. The meteorite is likely a fragment of one of the M class asteroids, which show significant nickel-iron in their surface material.

A typical meteor remains visible in the sky for a duration ranging from a small fraction of a second to several seconds.1

This brief period of visibility occurs as a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere at high velocity, causing it to heat up and create a luminous streak. While the visible flight of a meteor is very short, some meteors may leave behind a luminous train that lingers after the primary flight has ended. In contrast, if a meteoroid survives its passage through the atmosphere to become a meteorite, it may undergo a "dark flight" phase after its luminosity fades, which can last for several minutes as the object falls to the ground at lower velocities.12