What are shooting stars?

You ask: What shooting star?

Streak of fire cross night sky — star falling? No! Real stars far, far away, stay put. Shooting star is tiny space rock, often small as pebble or sand grain. It smash into air blanket around Earth very, very fast — more than hundred times faster than fastest arrow — cross whole valley in one eye-blink. Rock squeeze air in front so hard, air glow burning hot, and rock burn away in bright streak. Most burn to nothing way up high. Rare big one that reach ground get new name: meteorite. Some nights many streaks come — Earth walking through dust trail left behind by ice-and-rock comet, like tribe walking through gnat cloud. Cave wisdom: shooting star not star. It tiny rock dying bright in Earth's air blanket.