When a meteor enters Earth’s atmosphere, it’s traveling at tens of thousands of miles per hour. The intense speed causes the air in front of it to compress and heat up to thousands of degrees. This heat is what makes the meteor glow so brightly, creating the streak of light we call a “shooting star.” As the meteor continues its fiery descent, its outer layers vaporize and peel away in a process known as ablation. The smaller the meteor, the more likely it is to burn up completely before reaching

Mount St. Helens Geology: Back Side of the Volcano