Summer's Falling Stars

When summer nights are warm and clear, look up! You might see a quick flash of light in the dark sky. Some people call these "falling stars." But they are not really stars at all. They are tiny bits of rock or dust. These bits zoom very fast through space. When they hit Earth's air, they get very hot. They glow bright for a second, then they are gone. It looks like a star falling down. Many of these bits come from comets. Comets leave a trail of dust as they fly. Earth goes through these dusty trails each summer. That is why we see more falling stars then. It is a cool show in the night sky!